Shine
by luna leigh
Summary: Beth's last summer before college was going perfectly until the arrival of Will Darcy threatened to change everything. Gorgeous, disdainful, and arrogant as all hell, she doesn't know whether to throw a punch at him or kiss him. Or maybe do both.
1. A truth universally acknowledged

_**Shine**_

**By Luna  
**

**A truth universally acknowledged**

**AN: **Rated T for drug related themes and some romantic fluffy bits

* * *

The inside of her eyelids were glowing red and the sun was so warm on her face as Beth floated on her inner-tube in the pool. She opened her eyes and tilted her head back to look up; the sky was _so_ blue. It stretched endlessly, filling her whole field of vision. There were no clouds, and the sun beat down on her in steady rays. She could feel its heat on her skin, and she could smell the chlorine and the sunscreen. The cool water felt nice on her toes as she dipped them in. It was wonderful, and she should have been happy, yet she was bored, so terribly _bored._

Beth had the vague idea that there should be something more to life. She wasn't unhappy, but she couldn't say she was particularly _happy_ either. The monotony of the summer was killing her. She craved excitement and adventure, and unfortunately neither was particularly prevalent.

She had graduated from high school only a week earlier, and she had basked in the excitement of graduation parties and receiving news from the colleges she'd applied to, but after she was accepted to the college she wanted, the thrill had rapidly worn off.

She could still remember vividly walking out to the mailbox early one morning to find _the letter_, the one she had been waiting for from Pemberley University telling her she was accepted. Pemberley was one of the most prestigious schools on the East coast, right up there with Harvard and Yale, and Beth's fingers had shook as she ripped open the letter.

She smiled now, running her hands through the pool water. It still gave her a thrill of pleasure to know that she would be attending Pemberley, but she had three long months before her orientation days began. The summer stretched endlessly before her, and for once, she wasn't pleased by the idea.

Beth slid off the tube into the cool water, relishing the feel of it on her skin. She eyed her younger sister mischievously. Lydia was floating on another inner-tube a few feet away, asleep, and in Beth's opinion, she was just begging to be messed with.

Beth had never had a good relationship with Lydia. They had very little in common. As Lydia was so often irksome and annoying, Beth couldn't resist the opportunity she was presented with. She waded over quietly to where Lydia was floating and unceremoniously flipped her off the tube into the water.

Beth laughed as Lydia splashed around, sputtering.

"What the hell?" Lydia shrieked, wiping the water from her eyes. "I was totally having the best dream. I can't believe you."

"You have to admit, Lydia," Jane said calmly, swimming over. "That _was_ pretty funny."

Beth smiled at her older sister lovingly. As always, Beth was struck by her beauty. Jane had delicate features: an oval face, a soft smile, a pointed chin. Her short blond hair shone like old gold in the sun. Jane caught Beth's gaze and smiled lightly, her dark blue eyes glinting in the sunlight, and Beth had to smile back. Jane had a goodness, a gentleness that radiated from her that Beth had never been able to resist.

Beth was very different from her sister both in temperament and coloring. They shared similar facial features, but Beth had the same coloring as her father. Her dark brown hair shimmered in the sunlight, and her eyes were only a shade lighter.

The only shadow hanging over Beth's arrival at Pemberley University was the fact that Jane was a sophomore at one of the local colleges. For the first time, Beth was going to be separated from her sister.

"Yeah, well," Lydia started, lamely in response to Jane. "How about this--" Mid-sentence she sent a huge wave of water flying at Beth and Jane, which started a full-fledged war of splashing.

The fight went on for some time, and only ended once Lydia, sopping wet, was cornered by her older sisters and conceded defeat. Tired from the action, the Bennet girls all climbed back onto their respective inner-tubes. Although the splashing had been a fun, distracting diversion, it really was too hot to do anything except float.

Spinning once again, staring up into the blue, Beth sighed. She felt so listless and trapped. To be sure, she lived a life of luxury, but anywhere is a prison if nothing ever happens. She only wanted some excitement; something or someone to sweep the boredom away.

Almost like an answer, a shadow appeared across her stomach. She shielded her eyes and looked up at the figure looming before her.

"Hey mamacita. You're blocking my sun."

Beth's mother, Fanny, gave a long, patient sigh. She always seemed to have to collect herself before she talked to her two youngest daughters. She placed her hands on her hips and gave her daughter a stern look. "Beth, I need a favor. You too, Jane. We have new neighbors moving in across the street today, and I would like for you both to go over to the Bingley's and introduce yourselves to them."

Beth snorted and pushed on the side of the pool with her foot so that her mother spun out of her view. "The Bingleys? As in _the _Bingleys?"

Beth had seen Mr. and Mrs. Bingley's picture on the cover of the magazines that her mother always seemed to be reading. She hadn't known that they were moving, especially not _here_. The Bennets lived in a nice, gated community in Maryland, but Beth had never expected that anyone famous would ever be their neighbors.

Fanny huffed in exasperation. "Why _else_ would I send you over? They've got a son and a daughter around your age. Just make nice with them, and then hopefully the whole family will get invited to any parties they throw this summer."

Beth rolled her eyes as her mother's real motives became apparent. Fanny was nothing if not a social climber, and this was the perfect opportunity for her to move up a few rungs. She knew how much her mother would love to be able to drop the Bingley's name in conversation.

Instantly there was a large amount of splashing and pushing in the pool from Lydia.

"_Mom,_ I want to go! How come Jane and Beth get to go? It's not fair. I should get to go, too. _Please?_" she asked, drawing out the E sound. Lydia was able to whine at a decibel unparalleled by anything.

"You're giving me a horrible headache. The answer is _no _Lydia; you'll simply have to wait until they throw a party. _If_ we even get invited, and by the rate at which Beth and Jane are _moving_ it looks like that's never going to happen!"

"I'm sorry, we're moving now. We'll get ready as fast as we can," said Jane, trying to appease their mother.

"If you'd have sent me," said Lydia, "_I _would have been there already." With that she sank indignantly back into the water. Life was _so_ unfair.

Beth bit back on an uncouth response to her. She had a strange feeling that she was getting her wish.


	2. Consequence to the young ladies

_Shine_

By Luna

Chapter 2: Consequence to the young ladies

* * *

"What can I get you?" the man in the food stand said. He was wearing a white paper cap and a frazzled expression. Beth couldn't blame him. Strangers around her kept jostling her arm, pushing as they walked by, and she had to practically shout to be heard over the din of trumpet and saxophone and the voices of the crowd behind her. It was the first annual Jazz festival, and the downtown square of her small town was overrun with people.

"A lemonade!" Beth yelled, and he nodded before disappearing to the back. She wiped a bead of sweat off her forehead, simultaneously feeling the tiny trickle that ran down her back. The sun was low on the horizon, but the air was still unbearably stuffy. For early June, the weather was unusually hot. He came back with her cup, and she handed him a few crumpled bills.

She waded through the crowd, trying to find a space where there was more room to breathe and where she could also see the live band. Beth took her first sip of the lemonade, closing her eyes briefly in happiness. The cool, tangy sweetness was exactly what her parched throat had needed.

She stopped at a spot where she could feel a slight breeze. She could see the band if she stood on her tip-toes. Adventurous couples were doing wild, swing-type dancing in front of the stage. She'd come to the festival with Lydia and Jane, and she'd somehow managed to lose both of them. She hadn't realized the festival was going to be so busy; otherwise she would have made sure they'd had more of a plan. She gave up on finding her sisters for the moment and simply enjoyed watching the people around her.

Beth laughed quietly to herself as a group of teenage girls walked by. They were several years younger than she was. She'd been in school with them, so she recognized their faces, but she couldn't remember any of their names. Despite the heat, every single one of them was wearing Uggs with their shorts or their dresses. She thought that their feet must be totally drenched with sweat.

She couldn't help judging them; they all seemed so brainless. Their fake tans made them appear orange, and they all had on full make-up that Beth knew had to be caked to their skin with perspiration by now. They all looked exactly the same.

They were laughing and talking far too loudly to hear the music. They weren't there to enjoy the atmosphere, but to see and be seen. The bits of the conversations that she overheard were gossip about available men or recent break-ups. Beth was surprised that Lydia wasn't at the center of the circle of them.

Beth felt a sudden gladness at the thought that she had graduated; she never had to see any of those girls again if she didn't want to. She never had to sit through another class and listen to their inane questions. She hoped that Pemberley University might finally give her the chance to meet people more like herself.

Her fingers were cool and damp with condensation from her drink, and she ran them over the back of her neck, trying to cool herself off a little. In doing so, she suddenly spotted Jane standing about 15 feet away from her, deep in conversation with their new neighbor, seemingly oblivious to all of their surroundings.

Her mother's plan had been a complete success in more ways than Fanny ever could have dreamed. Beth and Jane had walked across the street to introduce themselves to the Bingleys and offered the friendly young Charles Bingley a 'Welcome to the Neighborhood' cake when he greeted them at the door.

Charles, in return, had gotten Jane's phone number.

Beth hadn't been surprised. Boys usually went straight for Jane, and Charles was about their age, jovial, _and_ attractive. Jane had eagerly given him her number. Beth hadn't begrudged Jane for nabbing Charles. On the contrary, she was happy and excited for her sister.

She watched as Charles leaned in to say something; he had to because the music and crowd were so loud. Her sister laughed with a hint of pink tingeing her cheeks and gave him a wicked look from under her lashes.

Charles had wasted no time in getting to know Jane. They had already been on several dates, and Beth knew Jane was crazy over him. Beth could tell Charles felt the same. Every time he saw Jane, his face slid into a silly, wide-eyed grin. Beth couldn't blame him; she'd had years to get used to Jane. In the fading sunlight, she practically glowed, radiating beauty despite the weather.

On the other hand, Beth knew that she was red and splotchy, her hair was frizzing uncontrollably, and 'glowing' was the last adjective that anyone would use to describe her. 'Sweating copiously' was much more accurate.

Beth didn't spend much time looking at Jane and Charles. Instead, her attention was continually drawn to the small group of people next to her sister and to one man in particular. He was turned slightly away from her, and Beth could only see the straight line of his shoulders and the back of his head or sometimes the side of his face, but she was _curious_.

She'd never seen him before; she was sure of that. Beth didn't want to be rude by staring, so she kept making casual glances in his direction, and the scene was always the same. He stood by himself, apart from everyone, arms crossed defensively, making no attempt to interact with anyone. He looked wretchedly bored.

She wondered if he'd lost the people he'd come with, like her, but he was making no effort to look through the crowd or find anyone. He didn't even seem to be listening to the music; instead he stared stonily at nothing particular in the distance.

Beth watched a couple of the girls she'd been watching earlier walk up to him. They stood briefly talking with him, forcing laughter, and dipping their heads to the side coquettishly. One fiddled nervously with her keys. Beth looked down at her watch to check the time, and when she looked up the girls were walking away in a huff, countenances drawn down into a confused scowl. Beth was going mad with curiosity. She wondered who this man was and what on Earth he had said to get that reaction from the girls.

She didn't have to wait long to find out.

Beth looked over to find that Jane had separated herself for the moment from Charles; she was busy speaking with a former classmate. Charles and the man Beth was wondering about had moved ten feet closer to her. The thought suddenly dawned on her that he had to be Will Darcy, Charles's friend from New York .

Jane had informed Beth about him earlier. His parents had died several years back, and he'd met Charles at prep-school. He was staying with the Bingleys for the summer. Beth didn't doubt for a minute that he had more money than he knew what to do with. She only wished she could actually see his face.

Beth shifted her features to look like she was deeply absorbed in watching the band as they prepared to play their next set, sipping absently on her lemonade while she eavesdropped. She was grateful that the band was taking a brief break because she could overhear their conversation.

"Are you _trying_ to look completely miserable?" Charles asked his friend innocently. "If so, you're succeeding."

In the pause that followed, Beth could only guess that Will gave Charles some kind of glowering look, as the latter chuckled. "Really, you've got the whole 'I'm incapable of fun' vibe down perfectly."

The next sentence sounded as though it came through the clenched teeth of a fake smile. "You honestly expect me to look anything but miserable?" The first sounds of life entered Will's voice; it was full of deprecation.

"All right; maybe they're not the girls you're used to, but--"

Will interrupted with a mirthless laugh. "After the never-ending line of cookie-cutter girls with fake smiles and tans waving the keys to their fathers' Jag like I'm supposed to be _so_ impressed… of course I'm not having fun. The worst part is that they don't even know how ridiculous they are," he mumbled after a moment.

Beth's eyebrows rose and a great feeling of dislike rose in her toward Charles's friend. He was such a snob! Sure, maybe she had been thinking along similar lines about the people in her town, but she had grown up with those girls and she had a right to. As a stranger and newcomer, Will was completely out of line to be judging them so harshly.

Charles sighed. "You might have fun if you made an effort. Everyone is so friendly if you take a second to talk with them. It's a festival; _mingle_. You might find someone here worth talking to."

Will rolled his eyes. "Doubtful."

"Will--."

Will snorted and cut Charles off. "Just because you managed to meet Jane doesn't mean the same thing will happen with me."

Beth had been staring intently in the other direction, trying to look like she wasn't eavesdropping, but on hearing her sister's name she finally looked over to the speakers. Her jaw dropped slightly before she could stop it. How unfortunate that Will was certifiably the biggest jerk ever because he was also the most attractive person there.

Or at least Beth thought so. He was exactly her type of attractive: not pretty, but very masculine. He was tall with broad shoulders and a narrow waist followed by long legs. He had a wonderful mop of brown, wavy hair and a mouth she thought would probably be rather sensuous if it wasn't in the middle of a derisive laugh. She was suddenly glad to be single.

Charles laughed. "Jane's gorgeous, isn't she? I can never get over it. But you're wrong; I bet you'd like her sister. She's..." He lowered his voice. "There. To my left."

Beth didn't look away fast enough. She hadn't expected Charles to point her out. She hadn't known he'd even noticed her. She made brief eye contact with Will before he looked condescendingly back at Charles.

"If she's like the other people I've talked to tonight, she's probably not worth the effort it would take to go over there in the first place, so no thanks," Will finished, disdainfully.

Charles sighed, frustrated with Will, but Jane was no longer talking with her friend. Instead she was standing in her little sundress looking beautiful, and Charles promptly forgot all about Will. He patted Will's arm once and walked away.

Beth no longer wondered why the girls who had attempted to talk with him had walked away looking so affronted. Will was a conceited jerk, she decided. So she wasn't worth the effort...!

Beth tossed her head and smiled snidely. It was obvious _he_ wasn't worth the effort either, not worthy of one more moment of her thoughts or attention. She breezed past him, head held high, and joined her sister and Charles, who both smiled happily, welcoming her into their conversation. She didn't look to see what Will was doing. She planned to completely and thoroughly ignore him.

* * *

Caroline Bingley strutted down the sidewalk on a pair of precariously tall high heels. She eyed the people strewn about the street with disapproval, rolling her eyes in disdain several times at their behavior. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Watch it," she said icily, as someone accidentally jostled her arm as they walked by. The man gave her a highly affronted look, muttering a choice word under his breath, and Caroline rolled her eyes. Something like that never would have happened to her in New York. Unfortunately she was at the first annual Jazz festival in a small town in Maryland and about as far from New York City as it was possible to be. She didn't fit it with these people, and everyone knew it.

Caroline caught her reflection of one of the store windows and adjusted the straps to her dress. It was a dark blue, silk designer dress that had looked stunning on the model who'd walked it down the runway. Caroline also wore it well, showing off every angle of her bony body. She was all angles and sharp planes, so high fashion clothing suited her well. If she had been at a trendy social event in Manhattan she would have fit in perfectly.

Here, she stuck out.

Caroline would have given _anything_ to be back in New York. She still could not fathom why her parents had moved them here. With the clubs, the restaurants, and the social scene, who would ever want to leave? But in Maryland she was, stuck in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by people who wouldn't know the slightest thing about expensive tastes or anything stylish even if it hit them in the eye.

She sighed and looked at her reflection critically. Her dark brown hair was cut and styled to perfection. A short swoop of hair artfully fell across one eye, hiding it completely. The other eye, a frigid ice blue, was accentuated with heavy eye liner. Her mouth was cruel looking with thin-lips and was bright cherry red, as was all the rage in Milan.

Caroline smiled at her reflection. It was a shame, really. She looked so fierce, and everyone in the vicinity was too stupid to appreciate it. Well, except for Will.._. _

Caroline's eyes narrowed as she thought of him. Caroline was rich and well connected. Her family was friends with all of the wealthiest and most famous families in the state of New York. Caroline knew how important it was, not only to be rich, but to have rich friends. And to have a rich boyfriend...

She had been relentlessly pursuing Will ever since he and Charles had first become friends some 5 years earlier. She couldn't imagine the endless perks that would come with having her name associated with Will Darcy. Magazines loved him. He was always in some photo or another. She pictured herself in publication after publication, imagination running wild. She would be _famous_. She had to have him.

After scanning the small crowd, she found her prey in the same spot as when she'd left him to try to find a bottle of Evian water.

"I almost _died_ on the way here," she said, melodramatically. Will had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. "I'm serious," she continued. "This place is about two minutes from turning into a hoe down. All they need is a greased pig and some rope. What the hell are we doing here?"

"Come on, Caroline," he said, scolding her slightly

"What?" she asked, laughing. "You can't tell me you're enjoying this. You've got to be miserable." She smiled coyly and leaned up closer to him. "Let's get out of here. Charles can find his own way home." She placed her hand on his bicep and smiled up at him.

He looked down at her hand with surprise. "So it hasn't been the greatest of nights. It'll be over in 15 minutes anyway and then we can all go home. Plus the band's not half bad." He shrugged.

"Whatever," she said, petulantly. "This is the worst day of my life."

* * *

As the crowd dispersed, Beth and Jane were finally able to find Lydia. On the short ride home, Beth turned up the air conditioning as high as it would go, but it didn't help her cool down. The second Jane put the car in park, Beth threw the door open and ran to their backyard. Pausing only long enough to kick off her flip flops, Beth unceremoniously jumped into the pool, fully clothed. She knew it was the only thing that would cool her off.

She heard laughter as she came up for air. After clearing the water from her eyes by shaking like a wet dog, she spotted Jane, who'd followed her from the car. She peeled her now soaking dress off, and threw it to the side of the pool, swimming in her underwear. "Come on in, Jane. It feels better than you can imagine."

Jane smiled, and, after a moments pause, she laughed again. "All right; why not." She stepped out of her dress, folding it neatly, and placed it far away from the edge of the pool where it would be safe from the water. She climbed down the ladder one rung at a time sighed as the water engulfed her.

"Oh," she murmured. "You're right. This is nice. We should just live out here."

Beth laughed. "Jane, we basically do. I think I spend ten hours a day in this pool." Beth swam over closer to her sister. "Did you have a good time? I saw you talking with Charles. Did you even hear any of the songs?" she teased.

"I like him, Beth. So much. I can't believe how happy I am. I never imagined dating someone could be this nice. He's so good to me, _and_ he's funny _and_ cute. I couldn't ask for a better guy."

"Good. If anyone deserves to be disgustingly happy it's the two of you. I can't stand his friend though," Beth added as an afterthought, kicking the water roughly with her legs.

Jane floated for a moment and the water made quiet lapping noises. "You didn't like Will? I'm surprised; he seems like someone you would get along well with. _I _thought Will was very nice. He was a tad on the quiet side, but still, very polite. We talked for a while when I first got there."

"Ha! Quiet? _Polite_? Monosyllabic, maybe, but definitely not polite. I don't think we're talking about the same person here. He's tall," Beth said, indicating with her arm the air several inches above her head. "Wavy hair..."

Jane nodded. "Did you see those shoulders? Mmm." She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"Jane!" Beth said, laughing with surprise. "What about poor Charles?"

"I'm not _dead_; I can still look…I just can't touch," she said, smiling devilishly, causing Beth to laugh harder. "I'm sure we're talking about the same guy," Jane continued. "And _I_ thought he was nice."

"Maybe he's bipolar," Beth mused. The person she had overheard was most certainly _not_ nice. "I just wish he wasn't so cute; it would make hating him easier. Why are all the good-looking men such jerks?" She sighed and relayed the conversation she had overheard between Will and Charles to Jane.

"Charles said I was gorgeous?" Jane gushed excitedly, a huge smile plastered on her face.

Beth snapped her fingers. "Hey! Focus here. You were supposed to pay attention to the _second_ half of the conversation: the half where I was badly insulted."

"That was mean, wasn't it?" Jane asked, chewing the corner of her lip. She looked over apologetically to her sister. "Will seemed kind of shy. Maybe he was nervous about meeting a stranger. I think he was being defensive. I don't think it had anything to do with _you_."

Beth threw up her hands in frustration and shook her head in half exasperated amusement. "I can't gossip with you. You think too well of everyone. It takes all the joy out of it. "

Jane smiled. "I could try to be mean if you'd like."

Beth laughed. "You couldn't be mean if you tried. I think I have another solution. Why don't you think of Will Darcy as being 'nice, but shy'." She laughed as she said that, she couldn't help herself. "And I'll think of him as conceited and stuck up, and we'll both be happy."

Jane sighed, but nodded. "All right, but I still think you're—"

"So," Beth interrupted smoothly. "Why don't you tell me more about Charles?"

Jane was only too happy to oblige.

"Beth, do you want to come see 'Some Like It Hot' with me and Charles at the old movie theater? It's playing this weekend," Jane asked her sister. A week had passed since the festival, and they were still stuck in a wave of unusual warm June days. Everything was humid, hot, and sticky beyond belief.

Beth smiled excitedly. "Cross dressers _and_ Marilyn Monroe? I love that movie." Beth eyed her sister suspiciously. "There's not going to be any wild groping going on, is there? I don't really want to sit through two hours of you and Charles making out."

"Beth!" Jane exclaimed, blushing. "We don't do_ that_ in public."

Beth smiled. She loved teasing her older sister. "All right then, you can count me in."

Jane clasped her hands together. "Great! I won't bother calling to tell Charles that you're coming with us. He won't care; he'll be excited."

Beth wasn't worried about going to the movies with Jane and Charles. She knew it wouldn't be awkward. In the little time she'd known him, she'd discovered that Charles was one of the nicest people she had ever met. He was easy going and he seemed to have a good time no matter what the situation.

She and Jane made their way across the street 15 minutes later. Beth was glad she'd be spending time in the cool, air conditioned atmosphere of the movie theater. Charles quickly ushered them inside once they arrived and leaned down to give Jane a chaste kiss before greeting Beth.

"Are you coming with us?" he asked, and when she nodded he beamed at her. "That's great. The more the merrier." He broke off as his friend walked into the foyer from the living room.

"Charles, do you still have tha—" Will broke off once he looked up and saw Jane and Beth. "Sorry. I didn't know you had guests," he said, politely. He looked thoroughly uncomfortable.

She narrowed her eyes. She did _not_ like him. The second he'd walked in the room her pulse had sped up. From pure dislike, of course.

She didn't like him because he had insulted her. She didn't like him because he was obviously stuck-up and arrogant. She didn't like him because he looked so good in an old t-shirt and a ragged pair of jeans. Beth thought he probably knew he looked good in everything and that was why he acted the way he did. He was rich and attractive, so of course he was conceited.

Charles waved Will's interruption off. "Don't worry about it. You've met Jane, of course," Charles continued, gesturing to Jane. Will smiled slightly with the corners of his mouth barely moving up and nodded while Jane murmured a quiet hello.

"And this is her sister, Beth. Beth, this is Will Darcy. We went to prep school together. He's visiting from New York."

Beth did not smile as they were introduced. She wanted to make him feel as unwelcome as he had made all those girls feel at the festival.

Will gave another small half-smile, which Beth did not return, and extended his hand to shake hers. "Nice to meet you," he said. She narrowed her eyes again, taking much longer than necessary to put her own hand out. Jane coughed lightly, and Beth finally grabbed his hand.

It was a nice handshake, she grudgingly had to admit. He didn't squeeze too hard, like some men did with women, but it wasn't too loose either. She noticed for the first time how pretty his eyes were. They were green, with flicks of yellow near the middle and a much darker green near the outside. She couldn't help thinking what a waste it was that he had nice eyes when he wasn't kind.

There was an uncomfortable silence while they stood and looked at each other. She was determined to be as cold as possible. Beth was looking somewhere around his shoulder when she noticed the small logo in the corner of his shirt. It said 'Men's Lacrosse'. Like many other inhabitants of Maryland, Beth was a big fan of the sport. The silence was growing more and more uncomfortable until finally Beth couldn't help speaking.

"You play lacrosse?" she asked curiously.

"What?" he asked, tilting his head to the side. He was caught off guard by her question. He followed her gaze to his shirt, and she watched the comprehension dawn on his features.

"Yes, I do."

Beth waited for a moment. She thought there was going to be more than that to the sentence. Perhaps something about how much he liked the sport or how long he'd played it, or even his position. Instead there was another lengthy pause while she stared at him blankly.

"That sounds very interesting." The sarcasm was almost hidden from her voice. Beth was cursing herself for even trying at all.

"Will plays for Pemberley," Charles said jovially, breaking the silence that had followed Beth's remark.

Jane shot Beth an excited look. Beth tried to nonverbally convince her sister to stay silent, but it was no use.

"Pemberley! Beth's going there too this fall. She'll be a freshman." Both she and Charles seemed very impressed and excited by the coincidence. Will had blinked at the news, but said nothing. Beth had to keep herself from scowling.

"Wow; that's a really good school. You must've worked hard to get in," Charles said with an encouraging smile. Beth smiled sweetly at him, but Will spoke before she could respond.

"Actually, they've been trying to raise enrollment for the last few years. They've been letting a lot of people in."

Beth found herself staring at Will in astonishment. She had to resist the urge to curl her lip. It was such a stupid thing to say, especially after Charles's nice comment. Will had said it matter of factly, and she wondered if he realized how insulting it sounded. She decided he was too into himself to care about what he sounded like to her. After all, she wasn't worth talking to...

She settled on rolling her eyes, and she turned from Will to her sister. "Jane, doesn't the movie start soon? We should probably be going." She tried not to sound too eager to leave.

Charles turned excitedly to his friend. "I forgot to tell you; we're going to see 'Some Like It Hot' at the old theater downtown. Would you like to join us? It'll be fun."

Beth seriously hoped he would say no. She was already facing several hours of Charles's and Jane's sickly sweet couple-talk. She didn't think she could _bear_ trying to force awkward small talk out of Will Darcy as well.

But Will was shaking his head no. "That's all right, you go without me."

Charles chuckled. "I forgot. You and your indie films." He turned to Jane and Beth. "If it doesn't have subtitles in it, Will won't watch it. Isn't that right?"

Will gave Charles an amused look, arching his eyebrow. "Sure. Whatever you say."

For Beth, it was the last straw. He was insulting and arrogant _and _he had bad taste in movies. He was as low on her list as he could get.

As they said goodbye, Beth turned and led the way out the door. She didn't say goodbye. She would have been perfectly content if she never saw Will again for the rest of her life.


	3. Three miles so early in the day

_Shine_

By Luna

Chapter 3: Three miles so early in the day

* * *

"Come on, Beth. Please? I'm practically begging you." Jane's voice had indeed risen to a pleading whine.

Beth couldn't look at her sister. She knew if she did, she'd cave in an instant. One look into her sister's sad eyes and all her resolve would leave her. It had worked their whole lives. Beth simply couldn't say no to her older sister. She ran a hand through her hair.

"I was under the impression that this was supposed to be some kind of romantic getaway for you and Charles. Why on earth would you want me to intrude on that? It would just make everyone feel uncomfortable." Beth quickly turned and busied herself with the tangled contents of her jewelry box.

Jane had staked herself on Beth's bed, and she gave a loud sigh. Earlier in the week, she'd informed Beth all about her plans to go with Charles to his family's beach house on the coast. Beth had thought it all sounded very lovely and grown up, but moments earlier, Jane had burst into her room and began pleading for Beth to join her. She didn't know what had caused the sudden change.

"It _was_ supposed to be something romantic, but then his sister decided that she had to come to the beach house. Charles couldn't refuse her, and if he's going to bring his sister, then I'm definitely going to bring mine."

Beth sighed, chewing the corner of her lip. "I don't know, Jane. It still makes me uncomfortable. You'll be busy with Charles and that'll just leave me and Caroline. I can't think of a bigger disaster waiting to happen."

Jane vaulted up from the bed and turned Beth around to face her, resting her hands on her shoulders. "But you wouldn't have to spend every moment with her. You could hang out with Charles and me," she replied excitedly, her eyes bright.

Beth snorted. The second option wasn't any better than the first. "I'll pass. You two are so sweet it makes me sick."

Jane's mouth turned down into a frown and she furrowed her brow. Beth immediately felt bad. She hated to see her sister unhappy. "_Please,_ Beth? It would mean so much to me. I know it's not exactly ideal, but we _will_ be at the beach. It'll be fun. Just think: this is the last summer before you go off to college. Soon you'll only get to see me a few times a year when we're on break. We should spend as much time together as we can before we're in different states nine months of the year."

It was a dirty, rotten trick to play the college card, and it worked perfectly on Beth.

Beth sighed again, but after a moment she smiled resignedly. "All right. I will come on this weekend trip with you."

Her sister let out a joyous whoop and pulled Beth into a crushing hug. "Thank you! You won't regret this, I promise. Oh! I have to call Charles and tell him. He really didn't want to go alone with his sister." She gave Beth another squeeze before running from the room in search of her cell phone.

Beth closed her eyes, fighting back a scowl. What had she just agreed to?

* * *

Beth was shocked to see a dark haired boy sitting in the front seat with Charles. She stopped abruptly, causing Jane to plow into her from behind.

"Who's in the front seat?" she asked, bending down to help Jane pick up the spilled luggage. She wanted to make sure she wasn't hallucinating.

"It looks like Will from here."

"Wonderful," she said as she rolled back her head in frustration. She could tell already that the trip was going to be a complete disaster. Caroline and Will? Beth wanted to turn around and go back to her bed, but she sighed and continued walking.

Charles got out and helped the girls put their luggage in the trunk. Jane finished first and sat down in the middle portion of the luxury SUV next to Caroline, which left Beth the whole backseat to herself.

Beth gave Caroline a tentative smile as she clambered to the very back, but Caroline didn't acknowledge her in the slightest. Beth rolled her eyes. With their enormous egos, she didn't know how Caroline and Will had both managed to fit inside the SUV.

By the end of the drive, Beth was glad she was in the back seat; it was harder to hear Caroline's endless prattle. She only pitied poor Jane stuck directly next to her. She got out and tried to stretch the kink in her back. What she really needed was a nice, long run.

Beth loved running. It was about the only exercise she enjoyed. She could think when she ran. There were no distractions, just the sound of her own feet on the pavement and her racing pulse.

In this case, her legs needed to move after being stuck in the back seat for hours. Everyone else was going into the house, but she could feel the tension in her legs, and the only way to get rid of it was to run. She grabbed her running clothes and shoes and started off, running along the beach.

The scene that greeted Beth upon her return to the beach house looked like a page torn out of High Society Magazine, if such a publication existed. Three of the richest young adults in America were seated on expensive leather barstools in front of a granite island counter top in the beach house's opulent kitchen.

The warm yellow light coming from the hanging lamp bathed them all in its glow as Caroline, Charles, and Will ate Thai take-out food, making the scene seem homey and welcoming. They were all attractive and impeccably groomed.

Beth looked down at her own appearance, smirking. The photographer for High Society Magazine would have taken one look at her and told her none too politely to leave the scene. She was absolutely covered in sand, and she knew her hair was a mess, with disordered curls falling out of her pony tail, sticking to her forehead with sweat. Her shirt stuck to her skin.

Charles gave her a large smile as she slipped off her shoes, and Will even managed to give her a slight nod, but Caroline turned her frigid blue eyes on Beth just long enough to show her how unwelcome she was before turning back to her plate.

"Where's Jane?" Beth asked, still breathing quickly after her run.

"She's showering; she just left a minute ago. She's in the room you're sharing down the hall," Charles said, pointing. He started to get up from the table. "I can show you--"

But Beth waved him off. "No, keep eating. I don't want to interrupt you. I'm sure I can find my own way." She hurried past them to find the room.

She wanted to take a shower, but she didn't know how long Jane would be. She dawdled about the room, but as the water continued to run in the bathroom, she was forced to return to the living area.

"Great, you're back. Now you can help me pick out a movie to watch. I can't ever decide and Will's being absolutely no help," said Charles as he caught sight of her.

"Imagine that," Beth muttered, but she smiled, and helped Charles pick out the first season of Weeds to watch.

"So, Lizzy… it is okay that I call you that, right?" Caroline asked with feigned innocence, as Beth sat down in one of the plush armchairs. She didn't wait for a reply to continue. "I heard your sister made you come along."

"It did take her a little while to convince me," Beth said, bewildered. She couldn't tell where Caroline was leading with her question.

"And how glad we all are that she did," she replied, and Beth felt her mouth drop open slightly before she could close it. Caroline was never particularly nice to her, but this was bordering on open hostility.

Charles cleared his throat lightly and shot his sister a look. Caroline smiled brightly. "I was only trying to say that it's a rather convenient vacation for you, what, with the free transportation, housing, and feeding. I can see why you were totally against coming." Her sickly sweet voice did nothing to hide the sarcasm underneath. She seemed to enjoy the process of baiting Beth.

Unfortunately, Beth didn't rise to the occasion. She narrowed her eyes, but bit back on saying anything. She wasn't going to stoop to her level of rudeness. "Jane asked me to come with her. That's the only reason I'm here."

Charles cut in before any more could be said. "How about a game of cards? Would you like to play, Beth?" The title menu of the DVD continued to play in the background; Charles had forgotten to push play.

"No, I'm fine, thank you." She answered Charles, but kept her eyes on Caroline.

Caroline leaned over and whispered audibly to Charles, "I guess she's too good to play with the likes of us." And then as Beth picked up a book lying on the coffee table Caroline continued, "I guess you like reading better. What a pity."

"Mmhmm," Beth answered, her jaw clenched tight. She was concentrating on blocking out the sound of Caroline's voice.

"Will likes reading, too. You should see the library they have at their house. It's huge," Charles said animatedly, trying, once again, to keep the conversation civil.

"It ought to be, for all the time we spend buying books," said Will, laughing.

"How's your sister doing, Will?" asked Caroline, trying to keep his attention. She'd lost it as soon as Beth had entered the room, and this was partially to blame for all the cattiness. "She's such a sweet girl."

"She's doing fine as far as I know. She's in Vienna with a Study Abroad program."

Beth was amazed by the change that took place on Will's face. Though rarely spoken of, the mention of his sister never failed to bring a tender, far away look to his face, as though he was thinking of a different time or place. She obviously meant a great deal to him, and Beth was taken aback by this. It clashed with her image of him. He was supposed to be self-centered.

"All those accomplishments come from a proper upbringing, of course. I was always taking lessons for all types of things. I'm sure Anna did too. I don't think other families bothered to do so with their children." Caroline smirked at Beth, and Beth had to roll her eyes at the implication Caroline was trying to make. It was pure snobbery.

Beth couldn't let Caroline get away with a statement like that. "I think there are plenty of poor children with natural talent that never take lessons for anything. And since they aren't forced to take lessons by their parents, they always seem to put more of their heart into it. I don't think talent follows socioeconomic rules, although unfortunately accomplishment seems to." She finished in what was more a baring of her teeth than anything else at Caroline.

Will turned to look at Beth and he smiled slightly. Caroline huffed in outrage, but was unable to come up with any kind of rebuttal. Beth looked back down to her book with a smirk.

"What are you doing now Will?" Caroline asked, changing the subject as he'd walked across the room and pulled his laptop out of its case. He looked once at the chair he had been sitting in, which was directly across from Beth, and then he seemed to make a decision. "You reminded me that I was going to write an email to my sister. It's been a while. I'll be in my room."

Will left without saying another word, and Caroline seemed to deflate slightly. After a minute or two, she got up and left the living room too. Charles finally seemed to remember that they were about to watch a DVD and pressed play.

Beth put her book down and sighed; it was going to be a long weekend.

* * *

Beth woke to the sound of the sea, with sunlight streaming in her room. The air smelled of salt and sea spray, and despite her travel companions, she felt completely content. The feeling lasted until she walked out to the kitchen.

Caroline was sprawled in front of the television, watching the E! network, and Will was sitting on one of the kitchen stools, eating cereal.

She stopped herself from groaning in annoyance, but not by much. Her sister and Charles was nowhere in sight, leaving her alone with two of her least favorite people. She could only take comfort in the fact that Caroline was most likely going to completely ignore her.

She didn't say anything to Will as she walked to the refrigerator. She was going to grab a glass of orange juice, get a bowl of cereal, and then leave the kitchen. It seemed like a complete waste of her time to try to make small talk with someone who was incapable of it.

She found a glass and poured herself some juice, and she found a spoon and the cereal, but the bowls completely eluded her. She opened cupboard after cupboard, becoming more exasperated as time went on. Where were the Bingleys hiding their bowls?

"Here," Will said, and Beth turned to see him holding a bowl out for her. She stared at him for a moment and he smiled slightly. "It's clean. I promise."

Beth walked over and took the bowl from his outstretched hand. "Thanks," she said grudgingly, and he shrugged.

As she poured herself a bowl, she heard Caroline's cry of dismay from the living room.

"Oh no! This can't be true! I can't believe it!"

Beth leaned over far enough to see the television announcing that Hollywood's latest 'It' couple had officially called it quits. She couldn't help smirking at Caroline's reaction.

"No! I loved them together. They always looked like they were having such a good time."

Beth smiled and quoted, more to herself than to anyone else, "Yes, isn't it pretty to think so."

She had recently finished reading _The Sun Also Rises_, and the ending had stuck with her. Caroline made no reply, and Beth took a sip of her orange juice.

"I always liked Hemmingway."

With wide eyes, Beth slowly turned to look at Will, who was calmly munching on a spoonful of cereal. His hair was mussed in the back, and his eyes still had a slightly sleepy look about them, but he had just completely shocked her. She swallowed heavily.

"What?" she asked, as a reflex. She had heard him perfectly; she just couldn't believe he had said it.

He had to finish chewing before he could reply. "Hemmingway. The Sun Also Rises. It's a great book." He waved his spoon vaguely and then surprised her even more by elaborating on what he had said. She couldn't believe it was really happening. "He's a singular writer. There's nobody like him."

Beth had to collect herself for a moment. She wasn't entirely sure she wasn't dreaming. She took another sip, and the tangy taste of the orange juice confirmed she was awake. She couldn't taste food in her dreams. "I know what you mean," she said seriously, after a moment. In two sentences, Will had summed up everything she felt about the writer. "His sentences are so bare, but somehow there's so much meaning in them. He was completely different from anyone that came before him."

Intrigued despite herself, she carried her glass and bowl over to the island to sit across from Will, deviating from her plan to bolt as quickly as possible from the kitchen.

He was smiling. "That's what I like about art. People do the same things they've always done until someone new comes along and turns everything on its head. There's always someone offering a new version of the world."

She found it a little strange that the heir to a century-old company steeped in history and convention would identify with the idea of completely bucking tradition, although she could certainly guess why he found it appealing.

She paused and took a bite of her cereal. She hadn't been paying attention, and it was getting a little soggy. "Like Beethoven," she said, a minute later. He was one of countless artists that had immediately jumped to mind.

"Yeah?"

She had anticipated condescension, sarcasm, and snobbery, and to see Will looking at her with genuine curiosity and guileless interest actually threw Beth for enough of a loop that she responded.

"He was composing right at this transitional time between styles of music. At first, he went kind of in the same vein as Mozart, but then he started deviating. When he wrote his later works, people had absolutely no idea what to do with it. It was so different. But then it went on to inspire so many composers."

With a snide laugh, Caroline extracted herself from the couch. "You're seriously talking about this stuff?" She laughed again and pulled an orange from the basket of fruit on the counter. "I mean, sorry to interrupt such a _fascinating_ discussion…"

Beth watched as Will's smile slipped back into an expression she was much more familiar with from him: disdainful condescension. Only this time the scowl was directed at Caroline.

Beth took another bite of cereal and a moment to look at Charles's sister. She was busy peeling the orange, so she didn't see Beth's scrutiny or Will's look of annoyance. Beth couldn't help thinking what a waste it was for Caroline to be so pretty when everything else about her was ugly. She had stunning cheekbones that Beth was sure would photograph well, and her ice-blue eyes were striking and unusual. Unfortunately, her mouth was perpetually drawn into a sneer and her eyes were always cold. Beth couldn't imagine going through life hating and judging so many things the way Caroline did.

Caroline looked up for a moment and caught Beth looking.

"What?" she asked defensively.

Beth blinked, thinking quickly. "Nothing. I like your shorts."

"Oh. Banana Republic." She sauntered past Will. "I'm going to lie out and tan. Want to join?"

Beth knew the invitation was not extended to her. For one thing, her fair skin did nothing but burn in the sun, and for another, she was fairly certain that Caroline despised her. Will didn't seem to catch on, though. He continued to eat the last bites of his cereal as though Caroline did not exist.

She snorted. "_Hello_," she said impatiently, and Will finally looked over.

"Maybe later," was his short reply and he stood up to take his dishes to the sink, refusing to give her any more attention. Caroline stared after him for a moment before fixing her eyes on Beth. She narrowed them into a glare before she waltzed outside. She obviously blamed Beth for Will's abrupt change in mood toward her.

Beth sighed and concentrated her attention to her cereal. She didn't look up as Will walked past her, heading in the direction of his room. She made a mental promise to herself that, no matter how tempting the conversation might be, she was eating breakfast in her room tomorrow.

* * *

Beth walked along the beach the next afternoon. It was a beautiful day. The jewel blue of the ocean matched the color of the sky. She had to look closely to see where the sea ended and the sky began. It was exactly what she needed. She could have opened her arms and spun around she felt so carefree.

Beth finally picked a spot on the sand, tossed out her beach blanket, and flopped down. She knew it was time to add on another layer of sunscreen, although she hated the sticky feeling of it. She knew how much worse she would hate looking like a lobster the following morning. She sighed happily.

She had spent as much of the weekend as she could away from the beach house, enjoying her time out on the sand. Sometimes she walked to the boardwalk. Occasionally she went wading in the waves, and the sand was gritty beneath her feet, the water salty on her mouth. She would cool off and then spend hours basking in the sun with her book. If only Caroline Bingley didn't exist, Beth thought that she would be in total paradise.

Still, all in all it had been a good trip, and Beth was sad to be leaving the following morning.

* * *

Beth didn't know how it happened. Scratch that, she knew how it happened, she just couldn't believe it. They were all loading into the SUV when she remembered she had left her camera sitting on the kitchen counter top. She ran back in the house to get it, and when she came out everyone was in the SUV already. Charles and Jane were in the front seats, Caroline was in one of the middle seats, and Will was sitting in the back. Beth stared, nonplussed for a second at the back seat before she got in.

She closed her mouth, which had been hanging open in surprise, and sat down next to Will. She couldn't blame him for avoiding Caroline.

Beth stared out the window. The sky was dark with storm clouds, and the ocean was no longer the jewel blue that it had been. The water looked inky and gray, as if some inner turmoil was raging beneath the surface. They had picked the perfect time to leave. Any later, and they would have been caught in a nasty storm.

Beth knew better than to hope for a peaceful, quiet ride home, and she was right. She and Will got in to a debate less than half an hour after they left the beach house. The conversation had started innocently enough; Will said something about the impending storm, and Caroline quickly seized the opportunity to enter the conversation, praising Will on how often his family donated to disaster relief funds and other charities.

"It's so selfless of you, Will," Caroline finished sweetly. She was turned nearly all the way around in her seat to face him. Beth couldn't help giving a small snort at that. The way Caroline mooned over Will was absolutely absurd.

Will looked at her in surprise, misinterpreting her reaction. "You don't approve of donating to charities?"

"Of course I do," Beth quickly defended herself. "Although I don't think there's any such thing as a completely selfless act. There are always other motives mixed along in with the altruism."

Will smiled, obviously enjoying the idea of getting into this debate. Beth noticed for the first time that he had dimples. "Really? So what ulterior motives did my family have when we donated to the Red Cross?" Will asked with mock curiosity.

Beth smiled indulgently. "You're twisting my words. I didn't mean it in a sinister way. By donating your family gets recognition and respect. It makes you look good in the eyes of the public." She went on, even though both he and Caroline attempted to interrupt. "Or maybe you just like the nice feeling you get inside when you donate money. It makes you feel good to know you've helped others, so donating makes you happy as well as serving to help people in need. And isn't doing things to make yourself happy the definition of selfish?"

Will conceded the point, but he was far from convinced. "Okay, but what about someone who dies to save someone else? A man who throws himself in front of a bus to save a kid, for example. He's not doing it to make himself happy. How much selfishness can there be in a person who's willing to die for someone else?" He looked smug as he finished saying his point.

Beth didn't even blink. "It's the same thing. Even though he knows he's going to die, maybe he still wants that recognition, so that's motivating him as well as the urge to save the kid. Right before he jumps in front of the bus he thinks how the front page of the morning's paper is going to read 'Hero saves child and dies tragically'," she finished, dramatically stating the headline. "Of course there isn't any way to prove any of this. People don't think about it on a conscious level."

Will was looking at her with disbelief. "You can't actually believe any of that." His voice was condescending.

Beth opened her mouth to protest heatedly. She hadn't really believed what she was saying, she just liked to debate, but as always, Will had made her feel contrary. The debate would have gone on indefinitely, but Charles cut her off from the driver's seat. "You'd better watch out, Beth; you don't know how stubborn Will is. He might throw himself in front of a bus just to prove you wrong." Charles laughed. "I've never met anyone so set in getting their own way."

Beth looked over to Will, and although he managed a small smile, she could tell he was a little offended by Charles's remark. She knew how much Charles hated debates, and so she decided to let the subject drop for the time being.

"I wouldn't want that; what a waste of a good bus. We'll have to agree to disagree," she said lightly, but gave Will a look that suggested the debate was far from over.

"For the time being," he shot back.

Caroline used the small silence that followed to engage Will in conversation. She'd been annoyed with the debate because she'd had no part in it.

Meanwhile, Beth scooted a little closer to the window and a little further away from Will. She didn't want to admit it to herself, but she had enjoyed having that conversation.

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. Perhaps Will Darcy had more depth than she had originally assumed...


	4. A sense of very great illusage

_Shine_

By Luna

Chapter 4: A sense of very great ill usage

* * *

Will looked sideways from the corner of his eye at Beth in the car. All he knew was that she was like no one he had ever met. She made him question things he had never even thought about before.

It wasn't that he hadn't had girlfriends before; he had. He had a great-aunt who was constantly setting him up with 'appropriate' young women, and so "relationships" for him had always been based on looks or wealth. But when he met Beth something had changed. He didn't know what to think anymore.

He knew that distractions were not a good idea. He was ambitious. He wanted to be the youngest CEO of Darcy Engineering in the history of the company. _That_ was the reason he killed himself at college to get top marks with such a challenging double major. _That_ was the reason he'd never had anything but trivial relationships, (along with the fact that he'd never had time for anything else), and_ that_ was the reason he was so confused over what to do.

He'd never dealt with anyone like her before. Put him in a classroom at the board facing a complicated mathematical problem and he would be confident, cool, and solve it without the bat of an eyelash. Put him in front of Beth Bennet, and he became confused and very defensive. There was just something about her that his mind couldn't deal with on a rational level.

He sat up straighter and moved an inch or so closer to the window. It wasn't because he wanted to move, exactly. He just didn't want anyone getting any ideas. After all, there could really never be anything between the two of them.

* * *

"Do you have any plans for today?" Fanny asked Beth late the next morning. She and Lydia were eating breakfast in the kitchen.

"That depends. What're you trying to make me do?"

"You're so incorrigible. Your cousin, Colin, is coming down to visit us for a week. You remember him don't you? I'm sure he'd love a tour of the town while he's here."

"No! Mom, _why_? You know that I can't stand him . He's like so weird and disgusting. I mean, seriously. Where did he come from? Everyone else is normal." Lydia practically shouted this, slamming her spoon down on the counter top. She glared at her mother angrily.

"Lydia! Your cousin is here on a business trip. Since he's so close there's absolutely no point in him wasting money on a hotel. Not that I really want him around the house, but that's beside the point. He's family. I expect you to be very kind to him and help Beth show him around the town."

"No _way_ mom; it doesn't take two people to show him around. I wouldn't be caught dead walking with him. Do you know what that would do to my reputation? Beth can do it all by herself." With that, Lydia slid out of her chair and walked out of the kitchen. Beth could hear here stomping up the stairs to her room.

Beth opened her mouth to speak, but decided not to argue. Her mother was already in a bad mood because of Lydia's yelling, and, after all, how bad could he possibly be?

Beth remembered Colin from when they were little, and sure, she had thought he was weird. But maybe he'd grown with time. When Colin walked into the house, Beth knew that she had been mistaken.

Colin Bennet was an odd looking man. His arms and legs were skinny, and his clothes were unflattering. His jeans tapered at the end, revealing just how scrawny he was, and his button up shirt was tucked tightly into his pants. His eyes bugged out, and while they were a nice blue color, the bugging was too distracting for anyone to notice the color.

Beth decided once he arrived at her house to take him to the mall. It was one of the least conspicuous places in town, she could buy a dress for the Bingleys' upcoming barbeque, and he could get to "see the town".

If he had simply looked a little weird, she wouldn't have minded. If he'd had a nice personality Beth soon would have forgotten about his looks. Unfortunately, Colin was just as odd as he appeared. By following her plan, they wouldn't have to walk around the mall together, and she could be free from him for a couple of hours.

She drove him to the mall, and they stood in the entrance while he looked around. Colin was so socially awkward it made Beth uncomfortable herself. He stood, shoulders slightly hunched, with his terrible haircut and those darting, watery eyes, breathing through his mouth, and Beth could feel nothing but pity.

She shoved her hands deep into her pockets and stood on her toes briefly. "Right. I figured you would want to look around on your own..."

That's what she'd _hoped_, anyway. If Colin said he wanted to walk with her, she had no idea what she would say to fill up the thick silence between them. The ride to the mall had been bad enough, and then she'd had the radio as a distraction. Colin played idly with a hangnail, and Beth suddenly wondered if he knew she was trying to get rid of him, and if he resented it.

Beth decided she didn't care much either way as he simpered at her. "I'm sure I'll be fine, Elizabeth. I wanted to scope out the women anyway."

Beth couldn't help it; her lip curled up in disgust. She couldn't tell if her cousin was trying to be funny or not. She didn't stay around long enough to find out.

"Okay then. I'll leave you to that. We can meet back here in a couple hours. Just call my cell phone when you're ready to leave." She gave him her number and quickly walked away.

Beth looked around, trying to decide which store to visit. She didn't come to the mall very often. It was the hot-spot for teenagers Lydia's age, and they walked around in groups that were disruptive and annoying. Beth couldn't stand to be near them. She preferred to be outside in the fresh air. There was something so indescribably fake and stale about malls.

She began walking to the left, shoes clicking faintly on the linoleum. Mechanic flying planes whizzed through the air, and the sound of laughing children and the clinks of plastic filled the air as she passed by the toy store. The store was a mass of vibrant colors.

The bookstore was next door, and Beth made a beeline for it. She stopped just inside the door, happily surprised. Charles was browsing in a decidedly girly section. She immediately guessed he was attempting to buy a present for Jane. She also saw Will not too far off looking around the classics section.

Charles looked up and smiled when he saw Beth, hurriedly placing the book he was holding back onto the shelf. He quickly stepped away from where he was standing, and Beth thought she could see a slight flush on his cheeks.

"Beth! What a nice surprise. I was--uh--waiting for Will."

Beth had to smile, as Charles was obviously trying to keep his gift a secret. Will looked over at the sound of his name, and gave a small nod when he saw her before going back to browsing. Apparently Will was back to being aloof.

"Hmm, maybe I can help him," Beth said, wanting to give Charles a chance to look around unobserved, and she walked over to Will. "He's buying a gift for Jane," she stated.

Will, tracing a hand along the book spines, didn't look down at her, but he smiled. "How did you guess?"

Beth smiled. "Charles is an easy read. He's in the wrong section though. He should be over here in the classics."

Will looked down at her now, lifting an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yes, _really_," Beth said, half-exasperated. "Jane loves the classics. The Bronte sisters. Jane Austen. We both do."

"Huh," was all Will replied, turning back to the shelves. She didn't think he meant to put on the act of superiority, but it was there anyway, and as always, he was making her feel contrary. She'd come over to give Will ideas to give to Charles, but now all she wanted was to question him about his last statement.

She shook her head and ignored the feeling. "We own all these already though. Charles should try chocolate or flowers even," Beth finished.

Will turned to look down at her again. "You say it like you disapprove."

Beth blinked, momentarily surprised. She hadn't meant to sound like anything. "It is pretty cliché," she said, recovering.

The smallest of smiles touched his mouth. "So what would Charles be buying if it were for you?"

She was surprised by the question and thought for a moment. "I don't know. It depends on the situation. Something unique." She shrugged. "I'd rather not get a gift than get some boring chocolates you could give to any girl."

Will paused and then turned back to the books. "You're unusual, you know." His tone wasn't complimentary.

Beth didn't like the way he said it, and was about to ask him what he meant by the comment when Charles walked over and interrupted. Will slid the book he was holding back onto the shelf and turned to Charles.

"I'm done here if you wanted to look in some other shops." He gave Charles a significant look.

Charles was momentarily confused, but then understanding dawned on his features. "_Oh._ Yes, let's go somewhere else." He turned to Beth. "It was nice running into you, as always. You'll be at the party this weekend?" he asked hopefully. His parents were hosting a barbeque.

Beth nodded, and they said their goodbyes. She watched them leave the store, and couldn't help wondering about Will. Why was he always so guarded? She didn't think he meant to be so cold; he'd been nice enough on their beach trip, but now he was back to being distant. She gave a mental shrug. It was his problem, not hers.

After browsing for several minutes longer at the book store, Beth decided to go try to find a new dress for the barbeque. She decided to browse slowly; the more time she took, the less time she'd have to spend with Colin.

* * *

"It's all set up. You don't have to do anything except show up. And bring friends," Carla Lucas added as an afterthought. "As your best friend, I demand your attendance."

Beth couldn't help laughing. "Some best friend you are. Ditching me for half the summer…"

"Hey, it's not my fault my parents decided to take me with them to an all inclusive resort in Cabo for a month while you were stuck at home. Anyway, I want to see you. You're coming to my party and that's final. Make sure Jane brings her boyfriend; I can't wait to meet him."

Beth said goodbye to her friend, still reeling from the whirlwind that was Carla. Before Carla had moved out to her own apartment, she and Beth had been neighbors and best friends for more years than Beth could count. Carla was several years older than Beth and possessed a no nonsense practicality and a wicked sense of humor that made them ideal friends. Beth couldn't wait to see her after her month long absence.

For this reason, she soon found herself crammed into a car with Lydia, Jane, Charles, and Will, pointing the way to Carla's townhouse from the backseat. It was a strange group of people, and Beth still wasn't entirely sure how she'd wound up in the situation. She assumed Charles had asked Will to come along, although Beth was secretly amazed that he agreed to it. A party full of strangers seemed a very unlikely place for him to have fun.

Lydia had overheard her telling Jane about the party and had refused to take no for an answer, forcibly pushing her way into the back of Charles's car. She'd threatened to tell Colin about the party, and so Beth had been forced to let her come with them.

She couldn't stomach the thought of bringing Colin to a party. He would embarrass them all. In the end, Lydia was sandwiched between Jane and Beth, and she couldn't have been happier. The thought of meeting college-age men had her in a giddy flutter, and she would not stop talking.

Beth clenched her jaw in frustration. Will was sitting in the passenger seat, and although he wasn't saying anything, Beth was in the perfect position behind him to see his reflection in the side mirror. His expression said as plainly as anything that he thought Lydia as much as a blathering idiot as Beth did.

"Whose shirt are you wearing, anyway?" Beth accused her younger sister. Lydia was a notorious clothing thief. Beth had the sneaking suspicion that it was her own shirt, and Lydia hadn't asked.

Lydia looked down at herself, unconcerned. "It's Jane's, but it looks better on me. She gave it to me."

"She did not," Beth immediately responded, but Jane laughed, breaking up the impending argument.

"She's right; I did. I never wore it. Someone might as well get some use out of it. Mom bought it for me, but it isn't my style."

With its low-cut neck, Beth could see why Jane never wore it and why it appealed so much to Lydia.

Lydia turned, giving Beth a 'so there' look. Beth sighed and watched as Lydia smiled sheepishly.

"I'm totally wearing your push-up bra, though," Lydia giggled.

"Lydia!" Beth cried. She could see Charles was chuckling in the front seat. A quick glance at the side mirror showed her that Will had raised an eyebrow. Beth scowled at her younger sister.

"_What_? The shirt just doesn't look right without a lot of cleavage. It's not like you need it anyway. Your boobs are totally big enough." Beth sputtered at this, but Lydia was continuing. "Plus you never wear it anyway 'cause you're like never dating anyone. You haven't been out with anyone since Ben, and that was months ago."

"I—" Beth tried to interrupt, angrily, but Lydia was steam rolling ahead.

"And you didn't even really like him, so I know you're not broken up about him. I overheard you talking with Carla one time, and you said he was totally boring and like the lamest kiss—Ow!"

Beth had finally been forced to reach over and pinch the underside of her sister's upper arm, which she knew from experience was especially painful.

"Shut up," she murmured under her breath. Aloud, she gave the final directions to Charles and they parked on the street. Beth was afraid to see what Will's expression looked like _now_. As Lydia scooted over to get out of the car, Beth blocked the door.

"Remember that you're only here because I let you come, and if you start behaving ridiculously I will take you home immediately, no matter how many cute guys you've been talking with," Beth warned.

Lydia rolled her eyes, but promised to be on her best behavior, and Beth let her get out of the car.

Inside, Carla's house was swimming with people. She lived in one half of a duplex, and Beth sincerely hoped she had cleared the party with her neighbors; it was _loud_. Lydia immediately disappeared in the crowd of people. Beth recognized a few people who had gone to her high school, but the rest were strangers.

"Let's go say hello to Carla," Beth said, beginning to lead Jane, Charles, and Will. Jane and Charles fell back slightly, leaving her to walk next to Will.

Beth couldn't scrap the paranoid feeling that people were staring at her. She self-consciously ran a hand through her hair, wondering about her outfit. Had she spilled something on herself?

The thought suddenly occurred to her that they weren't staring at _her_, or if they were, it was only because she was walking next to Will. The gazes of the people in the room were all directed at him. Some women were discreet, shyly looking at him and then away, but most openly ogled him.

She would have laughed at it all, except her position next to him was also earning her some glares, as though the other women had sized her up and deemed her unworthy of Will. She sneaked a glance at Will, trying to determine if he was aware of any of it.

The petty part of her expected him to be reveling in the attention, but she could see it wasn't the case. The line of his shoulders in his black polo was tense. He looked as aloof, disapproving, and disinterested as he had on the night of the Jazz festival. Beth almost felt bad for him. She certainly didn't want people looking at her like she was a piece of meat. She guessed Will didn't appreciate it either. However, she couldn't help but think that acting like a complete snob was the wrong way to go about fixing the situation.

She'd assumed she'd find her friend somewhere in the kitchen, and she wasn't disappointed, although Carla's greeting, on the other hand, left much to be wanted. She was perched on the lap of a muscular blond with a lot of flashing teeth, a jumbo glass of red wine in one hand.

"Beth! You made it." Carla tried to disentangle herself from the blond, but failed. She snuggled back against him, smiling. "This is Jack."

Beth laughed. "Hello, Jack. I'm Beth and this is my sister, Jane." She introduced Charles and Will too, noting the appreciative look that Carla gave both of them.

"Hello boys," Carla said. She pointed with her glass of wine. "Grab a glass before it's all gone. Beth can show you where the cups are."

"Oh I can, can I?" Beth asked, but she pointed out the cupboard to everyone. Carla wouldn't settle until they all had a glass. Beth sipped on hers tentatively, but red wine had never been her favorite. She planned to give the rest to Jane as soon as Carla wasn't looking.

"So what do you do, Jack?" Jane asked sweetly as they all gathered back around the table.

"Construction work, mostly," Jack replied, and Carla smiled.

"Good thing Lydia's not around, right? She'd try to steal him away from me in a second. I don't know why, but every time Lydia is over here, she and I are after the same boy," Carla said to no one in particular, bemused. "I should stop inviting her to my parties," she joked.

"Lydia _is_ here," Beth said, and Carla's eyes widened.

"You left that girl alone? Are you crazy?"

Beth groaned. She wished that, just once, she didn't have to worry about her younger sister's whereabouts. Jane began to rise from the table, but Beth waved her back down. "I'm on it, Jane. You guys stay here. I'm sure she's fine. I told her she had to behave or we'd take her home. I'll just be a second."

Beth wanted to explore the party anyway. She spent several minutes simply watching everything that was going on. She wondered if Carla even knew all the people in attendance. Her couches were full, and some people were even sitting on the arms of chairs or on the floor. Others were crowded in corners. The steady beat of the music was like a pulse beating in the background. The scene looked fun and inviting. Beth just wished she could find her sister, for Lydia was nowhere in sight.

After a few more minutes, she moved from the main room to the quieter back hallway. She noticed the door to Carla's guest room was shut, but she sincerely hoped Lydia was not inside. The girl worked fast, but not _that_ fast. Finally, she spotted her sister in line for the bathroom. With a sigh of relief, she walked over.

"Can you believe this line? I have to _pee_!" Lydia whined, and Beth laughed at her. There were two other girls ahead of her who she seemed to have befriended.

"Staying out of trouble?"

Lydia rolled her eyes. "I told you I would. Even though there are a ton of hot guys around," Lydia mumbled, pouting. Beth gave her shoulder a few pats.

"Good girl."

Unlike the guest room, the door to Carla's room was open. A lamp in the far corner bathed the room in dim light. She assumed the room was empty, but movement caught her eye as she walked passed the door. Seeing Will standing inside the door was enough to make her stop and backtrack.

"What are you doing?" she asked, stepping inside the room with him. He was standing in front of Carla's book case. "When I'm somewhere new, I usually check out the medicine cabinet, not the bedroom."

He looked over, surprised, his attention diverted from the painting hanging on the wall. The style was abstract, glowing with vibrant colors and alive with swirling shapes. Carla had purchased it from one of the galleries in town. The painting had always given Beth the impression of what the world would look like from inside a water droplet or bubble. Will had apparently been intrigued by it as well.

"I got distracted on my way back from the bathroom by the painting and by her—uh, _collection_ of books."

He tugged on the corner of a book that Beth suddenly realized was a pocket-sized version of _The Kama Sutra_. Will was smirking, and Beth couldn't help but smile as the book was nestled between the Harry Potter series and several Art History books. They were the only books on the bookshelf.

She shrugged. "Just the essentials, I guess. Art, sex, and an archetypal battle between good and evil."

"Just the essentials, hmm."

He looked wicked with the light making shadows across his face. She wasn't sure where he was going to take the conversation next, but he only shoved his hands in his pockets. "I'm surprised there aren't any gifts from you on her shelf. No_ Tale of Two Cities_ lying around?"

Beth blinked and then shut her mouth, which had fallen open. She didn't know how Will had just made such a spot on guess.

"It was _Great Expectations, _if you must know, and she uses it to hold her window open." Beth gestured with her chin to the open window, shaking her head at the delighted expression that briefly crossed Will's features. "I never bothered trying to buy her another book after that. She'd just use them for coasters or something."

He chuckled amicably, looking down at her. Beth looked back, noticing his eyes, his mouth. The realization that they were in Carla's bedroom was slow to dawn on her. The lights were dim, they were standing within mumbling distance of each other, and their conversation most certainly could be considered flirting.

Beth swallowed her smile and took a step back, forcibly reminding herself that this was Will Darcy. The same Will who was too good for the people of her town. The same Will who thought _she_ wasn't good enough to talk with. She didn't know why she had forgotten that. What had seemed like charm was really just a cover for his presumptuous arrogance and conceit.

"I'm going to go mingle," she said, gracelessly. She didn't include him with an invitation, and she backed away before he could have a real chance to respond. She didn't know what had just happened; only that she wouldn't let it happen again.

Beth felt hot and flustered, and so she headed for the front door, welcoming the feeling of fresh air. There were several groups of smokers also out on the porch, little glowing red circles at their fingers. The quiet timbre of their conversations and the muffled beat of the music mixed well with the night air. Beth smiled to herself, catching snippets of the conversations around her.

The loud snap of the gravel let everyone know that someone was walking up the driveway to the house. Beth saw his legs first as the porch light hit him. He was very tan, in sandals and a ragged looking pair of shorts. He stepped further into the light, saying hello to a few of the smokers. His hair was sandy blond and long, falling into his eyes. She noticed his muscular arms as he flipped his hair back, out of his face. He left the group and walked toward the door; toward her.

Beth tried to look nonchalant as he slowly climbed up the stairs. She couldn't tell if he was looking at her or not, but soon he removed all doubt.

He stopped before the door briefly. "Looks like I came to the right party," he murmured before walking inside. Beth had enough time to register his brown eyes, tilted wickedly, and mischievous mouth, and then he was gone. Her mouth dropped open slightly.

She didn't know what _that_ had been about. She was wearing a pair of dark green shorts and a cream colored top, not some provocative outfit like _Lydia_.

But soon the man was back, pushing his way out the door with two glasses of wine in hand.

"I noticed you didn't have anything to drink; I brought you a glass. I'm Jamie, by the way."

Beth raised her eyebrows, but accepted the glass nonetheless. His smile was magnetic, and she found herself smiling back. "I'm Beth." She took a sip as he moved to lean against one of the porch columns.

"Well, Beth," he put extra emphasis on her name. "I just checked, and you're officially the most beautiful woman at this party."

Beth was glad she hadn't been taking a sip when he said it. She was sure she would have spilled all over herself. As it was, she let out a big guffaw of laughter.

"Wow," she said slowly, after she stopped laughing. "What a line. Does that usually work for you?" She tilted her head, smiling.

"I don't know. You're still talking to me." He gave her another beautiful smile. "So I guess it must."

Ten minutes later, Beth couldn't believe she was still in conversation with Jamie Wickham, but he'd never once let up on the charm. She'd thought at first that he was just a sleaze who had less than honorable intentions, but the more they talked, the more Beth felt that he was just a nice, genuine man. Well, just a _sexy_, nice, genuine man. She couldn't believe her luck.

"Are you from around here?" Beth asked curiously. She couldn't believe that she'd never seen him before, especially when he was apparently friends with Carla's friends.

"No. I grew up in New York, actually. I graduated a year ago. I knew some people in this area, so I thought I'd come live further south for a while."

Beth was pleased to find out that he was Jane's age. She'd been afraid he'd be too old for her, but he was perfect.

"And what about you?" he asked.

Beth sighed. "I just graduated, thank god. I can't wait to get out of this town. I'm going to college in Massachusetts." Beth didn't know why she was telling Jamie all of these details. She just felt, intuitively, that she could trust him. He was so charismatic, so instantly likable.

"How does your boyfriend feel about that?" When Beth offered no response, only looking up at him from under her lashes, he grinned slowly. "No boyfriend? I really did come to the right party."

Throughout their flirty banter, they'd been moving closer together. Now Beth felt certain that he was going to try to kiss her. He'd placed his glass on the porch railing and walked over to stand in front of her. The only question was would she let him? She was flattered by all his attention, but she thought she'd have to turn him down. She'd make him take her to dinner first…

Before she could find out what Jamie was going to do, she heard her name being called faintly from inside. Will's voice became more distinct as he reached the screen door. Beth groaned inside. He'd just ruined everything.

Will spoke as he took half a step out, holding the door open. "Beth, your sister—" he stopped speaking abruptly as his eyes adjusted and he saw who she was standing with and in what proximity.

The harsh words she'd been about to say to him soon died on her lips, and her annoyance disappeared, replaced by sheer bafflement. She furrowed her brow. She didn't know what dimension she had suddenly been transported to, but nothing made any sense, for Will and Jamie's eyes were locked in a stare down.

The tension was palpable in the air. Beth openly gaped, looking back and forth between the two of them. She could see Jamie's jaw was clenched and his muscles were working. The corner of Will's lip was curled slightly, saying plainly that not only did he know Jamie, but that he hated his guts. Beth refused to believe it. The idea that they knew each other was absolutely insane.

But there was every appearance that they _did_ know each other. Will stepped out fully onto the porch, letting the door slam behind him, and she realized he had several inches of height over Jamie. Beth didn't like where things were headed.

Beth interrupted before anyone melted from the intensity of the eye contact, stepping in between the two of them.

"My sister _what_, Will?"

He finally broke eye contact with Jamie to look down at her. She'd never seen him look so angry. He looked away for a moment, regaining control of himself.

"She just wanted you to know that she's ready to leave whenever you are." His eyes had drifted away from her while he spoke and were focused on Jamie yet again.

"I'll come back inside and get her when I'm ready," Beth responded, but she wasn't sure he'd even heard her. She was beginning to be afraid that they really were going to get into a brawl. The tension was only growing between the two men.

"Will," she said, pleading. She grabbed his wrist, and at her touch he finally looked down at her. His eyes moved from her hand, still on his, and then up to her face. She let go, hastily.

"I'll come inside when I'm ready, okay?" It wasn't a question, but a command. She was telling him plainly with her eyes to go back inside. He clenched his jaw, giving an almost imperceptible shake of his head, but he finally turned to go. The door slammed behind him again. Beth let out a breath of air she hadn't known she was holding. She turned to Jamie, about to demand answers from him.

He was still leaning against the porch column, but he looked distinctly ruffled.

"How long has Darcy been in town?" he asked haltingly.

"How do you know him?" Beth asked, suspiciously.

"How do _you_ know him?"

"His friend is dating my sister. He's been here about a month." She waited for him to answer the question.

"You don't sound very thrilled to know him. Funny, how little people change." He said it more to himself than to her, and at her look of confusion he elaborated. "I grew up with Will."

Beth tried to hide her surprise, but she was flabbergasted. She took a step back from him on the porch. Could it possibly be true?

"My dad was close friends with Mr. Darcy. When my dad died ten years ago, Will's father took my mother and me in. We lived in the guest house on their grounds. The house is a mansion, literally, so we had more than enough room. Will's father promised to arrange for my future. He was like a father to me."

He sighed and looked away into the distance.

"What happened?" she asked softly. Something had obviously gone wrong between them. Beth was dying to find out what.

"When Will's father died a few years ago, Will pulled some strings with the administration and had me kicked out of the school we were attending. He was jealous because his father treated me like a son. I guess he thought I didn't deserve it. "

"But that's—that's awful."

Jamie continued on bitterly. "I'm sure you saw. He's still angry. He has ties with all the major companies in New York. He's made it impossible for me to find work," Jamie finished resentfully.

Beth was fuming. She wondered how Will could live with himself after what he'd done.

She could see the reasoning behind it. Jamie was charming, nice, and sweet. And though Will was rich, he shared none of the same people skills. He lacked all of the charisma. She knew it must have been difficult watching his own father show more love for a child that wasn't even his own, but that was no reason to destroy someone's future.

"I can't believe Will. No one deserves what happened to you." Beth felt so sorry for this poor man. He was attractive and smart, and yet his life was much less than what it should have been, and all because of Will Darcy.

"He has a sister, doesn't he? How could she let him do that?"

Beth saw a flicker in his eye at her question. He leaned in, as if sharing a secret with her. "She's just like Will. They treat people who don't have a million dollars like slime."

"I had no idea…" Beth began, still reeling from the new information. She couldn't believe that she'd ever, even for one moment, considered being friends with Will.

"Hey," Jamie said softly, causing her to look over at him. "Don't worry about it; it's for me and Will to work out. You don't have to get involved."

"But I feel so bad for you," Beth said. She wanted to help him. She wanted an excuse to yell at Will, and he wasn't letting her have it.

"You're sweet." He leaned in and kissed her cheek, hitting the very corner of her mouth. "Things will work out." He dug in his pocket and extracted his cell phone. "I'd love to take you out for dinner sometime. Maybe tomorrow?"

Beth smiled brightly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ears. He'd easily distracted her. She'd been waiting the whole night for him to take their flirty banter forward a step. She gladly gave him her number. He backed away as he typed in her digits.

"I've got to run, but tomorrow…" he promised, throwing her a charming smile as they said their goodbyes. He waved as he backed off the porch and then was gone into the darkness.

Beth smiled to herself, feeling a little giddy. It had not been a typical evening. She checked her watch, balking at the late hour. No wonder Jane had wanted to leave. Jamie had kept her thoroughly distracted for almost the entire night. She opened the door and hurried inside to find her sisters.

The party had thinned considerably, so it wasn't difficult to find everyone.

"Ugh, finally," Lydia said as she spotted Beth. She and Jane rose from the couch they had been sitting on. "What took you so long?"

"You must've been having some good conversations," Jane said, her sentence broken by a long yawn. "Who were you out there with?"

"Later," Beth mumbled to her sister as Charles and Will entered the living room from the kitchen. "I'll tell you later, I promise."

A great feeling of anger welled in her at the sight of Will. She wanted to punch his face. Instead she made tight fists with her hands and refused to look in his direction.

"Carla just went to bed, so I think we should probably leave soon. Is everyone ready?" Charles asked jovially.

Out at the car, Beth soon found herself in a dilemma. Jane had taken the front seat next to Charles, and, before Beth could stop her, Lydia clambered into the backseat. This left Beth the middle seat, sitting her directly next to Will, which was exactly what she didn't want.

"Lydia, get out," Beth said seriously. She _couldn't_ sit next to Will.

Lydia huffed, curling her lip. "I totally rode in the middle on the way here. I'm not going to do it on the ride back too. Plus, I listened to you and didn't get in any trouble. I deserve a reward."

"I'm not kidding, Lydia. Get _out_," Beth replied, her tone getting dangerous.

Lydia leaned forward so that Beth could see her whole face. Her resemblance to Jane was uncanny, except Jane never wore that much eyeliner and her mouth certainly never turned in such a nasty sneer. Lydia narrowed her eyes. "Make me," she said slowly.

Beth clenched her jaw hard, balling her hands into fists again. There was no one like Lydia to set her off. She knew exactly the right buttons to press, and Beth was already on edge. If they had been with family only, Beth would have taken her sister up on the dare and yanked her out of the car.

But instead, Charles and Jane were both turned around in the front seat, looking at her with raised eyebrows. She couldn't see Will's expression behind her, but she was sure it was disapproving as well. She took a deep breath and let out an enormous sigh.

"Fine," Beth said through clenched teeth, and she crawled into the car. Lydia sat back with a smirk, and Beth wanted nothing more than to slap her. Instead she concentrated on taking deep breaths, rubbing her forehead.

Being confined in such close quarters with Will was torture. Every time the car turned a corner, their knees would knock. Beth couldn't think of anything more annoying, but she also couldn't find a way to stop it from happening.

Beth was angry with herself. She had almost allowed herself to become friends with Will, brushing aside his arrogance and conceit as minor character flaws. Jamie's revelation had ended all chance of that. She could not and would not brush aside Will's petty, malicious, vindictive behavior.

He had no integrity, no character. Not one redeeming characteristic. She looked out of the corner of her eye at him. Beneath that classic and handsome exterior, he was as terrible as Caroline. She couldn't believe she had ever fooled herself into thinking anything else. She couldn't be more thankful to Jamie. Her eyes had been opened, and one thing was obvious; Will Darcy was a rotten, rotten man.


	5. Talk by rule

_Shine_

By Luna

Chapter 5: Talk by rule

* * *

Jane looked at Beth through the mirror in their bathroom. Beth was angrily trying to tame her curls into an acceptable hairstyle. She was not having a good day.

The day had begun well enough. Beth awoke around noon, still feeling tired from the night before. She eagerly picked up her phone, expecting to see a missed call or text from Jamie. When she had no new messages, she shrugged slightly and headed downstairs to get some food, phone in hand. She assumed that she would get a message from him sometime throughout the day.

As the hours had passed and it became apparent that Jamie wasn't going to call her like he'd said, Beth's mood dropped significantly. She was annoyed that instead of going out to dinner with Jamie, she had to go to the Bingley's barbeque. She was annoyed that she had been naïve enough to actually expect him to call the next day. But instead of placing the blame on Jamie, she had put it on Will.

Of course Jamie was leery of calling someone so closely associated with Will. Since Will obviously still held such a grudge against Jamie, it would be insane for him to come anywhere near Beth. She'd arrived at Carla's party with Will, had gone home in the same car with him, and had even told Jamie herself that her sister was dating Will's best friend.

She might as well have announced her engagement to Will; it would have had the same immediate effect of scaring off Jamie.

After watching her younger sister scowl and slam doors and cabinets all day, Jane had finally asked Beth what was bothering her as they got ready for the barbeque. Beth launched into an explanation of everything Jamie Wickham had told her.

However, instead of the immediate support Beth expected to receive from her sister, she was getting quiet skepticism. The conversation had turned into a bit of an argument. Jane slipped on her earrings before speaking quietly.

"It can't be true. Will wouldn't do that to anyone. Are you sure you can trust Jamie? You only met him last night."

Beth put down her comb angrily. "Jane, come on, you always do this. You try to find the best in people when there's really nothing there. There was no reason for Jamie to lie! He gave me names, dates, facts, _everything_. I believe him over Will. Can't you see how well everything fits? The way Jamie was talking…it's exactly the kind of thing Will would do. He's the conceited pig I always thought he was."

"I know you guys didn't hit it off in the beginning, but you've got no reason to continue disliking him. And Jamie said he was going to call and he—"

"You look really nice tonight Jane," Beth interrupted smoothly, not wishing to discuss the topic any longer. "I've always liked that dress the best." She didn't like fighting with Jane. She knew that they would go over the same issues again and again, and nothing would get decided.

"Oh… thank you. You look nice too," Jane said sighing, and she obligingly dropped the subject. She didn't want to continue fighting either. She just wished her sister would listen to a little reasoning. On this issue, however, it seemed like a lost cause.

"Girls! If you're not down here this _instant_ we're leaving without you. We _cannot_ be late for this party," Fanny called up in screeching tones, sounding as if she were about to have a nervous breakdown.

Beth rolled her eyes, "I thought you were supposed to be fashionably late." But she turned to go and followed Jane down the stairs. Colin whistled as they came down, and she exchanged a wary look with Jane.

"I can't wait to see what the rest of the girls in town look like," Colin said, rubbing his hands together excitedly.

She rolled her eyes, but then forced a smile for her mother's benefit. Fanny quickly bustled everyone out the door and marched them across the street.

Beth was suddenly happy that they lived just across the way; the street was packed with cars. The Bingley's house was absolutely bursting with people. The air was filled with movement and sound. A large group of people were gathered on the lawn, standing in their poshest clothing, drinks in hand. Beth could only imagine what their conversations consisted of, but she was sure they revolved around two main topics: the Bingleys and money.

She smiled fondly as several young girls ran past them, playing a game of tag in the plush green grass of the lawn. Their pretty white dresses and ribbons trailed behind them as they scrambled about, giggling and squealing. She wished, briefly, to be that carefree again. Jane lightly touched her arm and pointed to the girls with a smile. Beth could tell Jane had been thinking along the same lines as she had been. She linked arms with her sister and followed her family inside.

Jane quickly spotted Charles and made her way over to him, and Beth was immediately overcome with feelings of annoyance yet again. She _really_ didn't feel like being at the party. Her mother's voice was only irritating her more. Beth quickly walked off in another direction, away from her family.

She looked across the room as she walked and scowled as she suddenly spotted Will. Per usual, he was standing apart from everyone, shoulders pressed against the wall he leaned against. He had a glass in one hand that he occasionally drank from. His face was carefully blank. Beth could tell he was bored. He looked as though he would have preferred to be anywhere else. He looked detached, cold, and completely unapproachable. Beth was certain that was exactly the way he wanted it.

She thought he was probably rejoicing about the fact that none of women at the party were trying to engage him in small talk.

Even as Beth thought it, Caroline slinked up to Will. He gave her a tiny nod of acknowledgment, and Caroline smirked, leaning against the wall next to him. Annoyance flashed clearly across his face for a moment, but he only crossed his arms defensively, apparently resigned to her.

Beth couldn't help ogling what Caroline was wearing. Her dress, another high fashion creation, was garish and eye-catching. Beth guessed that the bright canary yellow dress was supposed to look like a mod dress from the sixties. In her opinion, however, it just looked terrible. Beth smirked, looking down at her own attire. She was sure Caroline would feel exactly the same way about her simple strapless cotton dress.

Will took a sip from his glass, and his eyes met hers from across the room. Beth felt the smirk slide off her face. She was caught between feeling embarrassed at being caught staring and feeling plain pissed off about everything that was Will Darcy.

She tossed her head, about to turn around, and someone tapped on her shoulder.

"_What_?" she asked harshly. She looked and saw that it was Colin. At his surprised look she softened her tone. "Sorry," she added, without much sincerity.

"I was wondering if you would dance with me; I don't know anyone, and I don't want to go out there alone."

Beth felt a mixture of pity and revulsion. "I don't dance," she lied quickly. Colin seemed to take this in stride, but he didn't leave, as she had expected him to. Instead he hovered by her side, saying nothing. She blinked her eyes a few times, waiting for him to speak, but he seemed content with the silence. He rocked back and forth on his toes, his hands in his pockets.

After a full two minutes of this silence, Beth finally cracked. She didn't have anything to say to her cousin and she definitely didn't want him standing around her the whole evening.

"I'm getting thirsty," Beth said, finally breaking the silence. "I think I'll go get a drink." She started to back away, and Colin made a move to follow her. "_No_," Beth said, without thinking. "I mean—you don't have to come with me." She laughed falsely to cover her awkwardness.

"I'm thirsty too. I think I saw the refreshment table on the way in."

Beth groaned inwardly, but she had no choice now but to follow Colin toward the drinks. He poured her a cup of punch, but when he turned to fill his, Beth backed away quickly. She weaved her way through the crowd of people trying to get as much distance from Colin as she could. She saw him turn his head, looking for where she had gone, and Beth looked around wildly. She never thought she would have to spend the night trying to escape from Colin.

Beth suddenly spotted Carla's familiar chestnut hair in the crowd and pushed her way over. It seemed that Charles had invited her the night before.

"Bee, what are you doing?" Carla asked, bemusedly, as Beth stalked up to her.

"_Please_ Carla, you have to help me get away from Colin," Beth breathed, hurriedly looking over her shoulder. Colin had momentarily become trapped behind two middle-aged women moving through the crowd, but he still seemed determined to catch up with her.

"Your cousin?" Carla asked, laughing.

"_Yes_ my cousin," Beth said, exasperatedly. "Don't ask. I need to get away from him. He's-- Oh no. He's coming this way. _Please_, distract him, or..." Beth trailed off and shrugged her shoulders, slipping away into the crowd of shoulders and legs. She spotted a door that she was almost certain led to the Bingley's outdoor patio and rushed toward it.

She looked over her shoulder on the way out and saw that Colin was deep in conversation with Carla and no longer paying the slightest attention to her. Beth felt pity for her friend, but she was so relieved to get away that it didn't matter. She walked out into the night air and shut the door behind her, leaning back against it with a sigh. She closed her eyes.

"Thank god that's over," she said aloud, blowing an errant strand of hair off of her face.

"Enjoying the party?" Will asked dryly, and Beth jumped, startled. Her heart was beating quickly in surprise, and she put her hand on her chest and took a deep breath.

"You scared me," she said. She was suddenly thankful for the dim light, as Will couldn't see her embarrassed blush. The patio was lit by strands of small white party lights strung along the side of the house, but Will had been standing in the shadows and so she'd missed him entirely when she stepped outside.

He moved forward now, making his way between the patio chairs and tables strewn with discarded plates and cups. The party had moved into the house, and all that remained outside was leftover trash and the sweet, heavy smell of roasted meat and barbeque still hanging in the air.

She could see Will's outline in the dim light; he was either grinning or scowling, but she couldn't tell. She thought it must be a scowl as she'd interrupted his solitude. The shock of running into him so suddenly was wearing off, and dislike welled up in her stomach. She narrowed her eyes. She almost wished she was back inside with Colin.

"Yeah, the party is great." She responded to his question with heavy sarcasm. She wondered, suddenly, why he was outside.

"Why aren't you inside watching the spectacle? It seems like your kind of thing." Beth could easily picture him watching the people with Caroline, mocking and snubbing all the silly suburban housewives as they desperately tried to impress one another.

He snorted. "Really?" He shook his head. Beth couldn't make out his tone; she decided it was derisive. "Parties like this are about the last place I want to be. I was trying to get some air."

Beth looked off to the side. He obviously thought he was too good for the party. She watched the lightening bugs flickering in the distance for a minute before responding.

"Shouldn't you be used to these parties by now? Just another day in the life of a socialite, right?" She did little to keep the hostility out of her voice.

"For Caroline, maybe. Me…I try to avoid these things when I can."

She hated everything about him: the infuriating way he responded to her questions: the assurance in all his answers: his pretty eyes and the sexy turn of his mouth: his casual elegance and the way he looked just as right in a button up as in a ragged t-shirt. Beth _despised_ him.

"I find that a little hard to believe. Why pass up an opportunity to have people fawn over you. Especially here; everyone in there'd probably do anything just to get your attention. They probably think you're perfect."

"Perfect?" He let out a bark of laughter, filled with surprise. "I highly doubt that. No one's perfect, _especially_ not me."

Beth couldn't resist baiting him. "No? Name one fault."

"Just one? There are so many to choose from."

She assumed he was being sarcastic and couldn't get over his arrogance. Her eyes had finally adjusted to the dark, and she could make out his features. He was smiling lightly, green eyes looking out into the distance, apparently lost in thought. He turned suddenly to look at her, and Beth looked away, not liking the way her heart thumped when he was looking down at her like that.

"I never forgive anyone. I'm not very good at forgetting, either." He started off jokingly, but finished seriously. "I'm resentful, I guess. People only get one chance with me."

Beth stared in earnest. She'd never expected to receive a real answer from him. This added a whole new dimension to Jamie's story. Even if Jamie made an attempt to apologize, Will would continue to punish him.

"But what if they didn't mean to hurt you? You'd spend the rest of your life hating someone for something they didn't mean to do or--or had no control over?" Her tone rose dramatically, cutting through the quiet night air.

He looked surprised, but responded to the tone of anger in her voice, his own voice rising slightly. "I think I'm pretty good at judging whether or not the person meant to hurt me. _I_ don't blindly look at people and say, 'I'm going to hate them forever now; just because.' That's not how it works. I give them the benefit of the doubt."

She laughed bitterly. "What about me?" Will looked confused, and Beth sighed, unable to believe that she had to elaborate. "The first thing I ever heard you say was that I wasn't good enough to talk to."

He colored a little and dipped his head. "You heard that? I'm sorry. I was a fool." He looked up at her after he spoke, taking in her features. She watched him, surprised to see that his eyes were on her mouth. He looked away again after a moment.

She felt a bit of a blush on her cheeks and was happy again for the darkness. Again, that wasn't the answer she had expected from him. She thought he would deny the whole thing, not admit he'd said it, and what's more _apologize_ for it. She felt that there might even have been a compliment somewhere in his response. Confused, she moved several feet away, putting distance between them. During their conversation they'd gotten closer and closer.

She didn't know why she had stayed outside to talk with him. She should have walked away as soon as she'd noticed he was there. Now that she was in the situation she couldn't resist taking out all her anger with Jamie on Will. After all, there must have been a reason why he hadn't called her.

"Carla's was fun yesterday, wasn't it?" she asked. She wanted to get a response out of him; she wanted to make him as angry as she was, and she knew of one sure way to do that.

Will was confused at her rapid shift of subjects. "I--yeah. It was fine--"

She cut him off. "I felt bad that I didn't spend much time with Carla, but I got so distracted with Jamie." She looked up at him with narrowed eyes. "He was so charming, telling such _fascinating _stories about his life."

Her shot had the desired effect. Will stiffened and the corners of his mouth turned down in a scowl. She could see a muscle in his jaw working. His voice was the coldest she'd heard it when he spoke. "Jamie always was good at making things up; if that's what you call charm."

She ignored the jab. "So you know him?" Beth asked innocently, feigning surprise.

"I thought I did at one point." Will's face was devoid of emotion. He looked as cold as an ice sculpture. Beth could tell that he didn't want to discuss the matter further, and she felt a kind of happiness in pressing the issue.

"Apparently he's had the bad luck of losing your friendship. How _terrible_," she said, sarcastically.

"I can't think of anything better than losing his 'friendship'," Will said brusquely. He suddenly turned to look at her, and Beth couldn't read his expression. His eyes were intense. "You should stay away from him, Beth."

Beth opened her mouth in outrage. The nerve of Will! How dare he try to tell her who to see.

"Why's that? Because he doesn't have a million dollars? Because he's actually _nice_ to peop—"

Will cut her off, his voice was quiet but intense. "_No_. Because…" he trailed off, looking to the side. "He's not who you think he is," he finally said, quietly.

Beth scoffed at him. "_Right_." She looked at him with narrowed eyes. "Don't try to tell me what to do," she said seriously.

"I think I've had enough air," she said shortly a moment later, voice laced with anger and contempt. "I'm going inside." She didn't wait for his response, but stepped back inside, blinking in the now bright light.

She hated Will. Every time she was around him she ended up furious. She couldn't believe his audacity. Too much of Will Darcy made her _crazy_.

Beth looked around the room. She couldn't see Jane or Carla anywhere, and her cousin was also missing from the scene. This, at least, was one small blessing. Her mother was at the center of a hub of middle-aged women, deep in animated conversation. Beth steered clear of them. If her mother caught sight of her, she'd be forced to endure an hour of nosy questioning from her mother's friends.

She skirted far around them, heading to another part of the house. As she turned a corner heading toward the bathroom, she literally ran into Lydia.

"Beth!" Lydia cried out, happily. She stared at Beth with glittering eyes; her pupils were dilated so that only a small ring of the light blue iris was visible. She gave Beth an enormous smile, sniffing every few seconds. She rubbed the bottom of her nose absently before engulfing Beth in a hug. "I totally love you, Beth."

Beth blinked, but hugged her sister back. Lydia, as normal, was being completely unpredictable. "Uh, I love you too, Lydia," Beth said, after a moment.

"This is a great party, isn't it? It just rocks. Like, listen to this music. It's awesome." Lydia bobbed her head enthusiastically for a few moments. "This is totally the perfect kind of music for this party. Hey, do you want to dance?" she asked Beth excitedly. "Let's dance."

Beth thought for a moment, but then shrugged. Why not? Lydia was already pulling her by the wrist out to a space of the house that had been cleared for dancing. Once there, however, Beth was no match for Lydia's exuberance. After a few songs, Beth was tired, but when she mimed to Lydia that she was going to get a drink of water, her sister paid no attention and continued bouncing around energetically.

Beth lifted her hair off the back of her neck and wandered over to the refreshment table to get a bottle of water. The liquid was cool and refreshing against her throat. The party was beginning to clear out, and she was finally able to spot Jane standing next to Charles. They were deep in conversation, their heads close together. Beth smiled at the sight of them.

Beth reached for her phone, feeling almost masochistic. There were no messages from Jamie, and she hadn't really expected there to be any, yet she still felt a small wave of disappointment. She wasn't jealous of Jane, but she wouldn't have minded having someone to bring to this party. Someone to dance with, laugh with. Someone to enjoy herself with. She sighed, putting her phone away. She looked up, and for the second time that night she found herself making eye contact with Will from across the room. He'd just walked in from another part of the house.

Beth fought down a blush and scowled, turning her head. Why was he looking at her? He had to be judging her, she couldn't think of any other reason. Perhaps he was wishing that they'd never met. That was how Beth felt when she looked at him. She tossed her head.

Beth decided it was time for her to go home. Her bad mood, which had lifted briefly while she danced, had returned. She'd spent a long enough time at the party that her family wouldn't be mad at her for ducking out before it was over. She made a beeline for the front door and stepped out into the cool air.

What a waste of a night it had been.


	6. Not rich enough, or grand

_Shine_

By Luna

Chapter 6**:** Not rich enough, or grand

* * *

"Do you want me to pick up anything for you? Some new shoes maybe?"

Beth shook her head as her mother grabbed her keys and purse, preparing to leave. She and Lydia were going shopping, although Beth had doubts about whether Lydia would even make it to the car. What Beth had taken to be exuberance the night before appeared to have been intoxication. Lydia looked distinctly peaky, and she had on her largest pair of sunglasses, even though the day was overcast. The large lenses covered her face. Beth found that she couldn't feel the least bit sorry for her sister.

"No, thank you," Beth replied. She and her mother had very different taste in clothing, and she knew that she would only end up returning any shoes that her mother brought home for her.

Jane and Beth's father were out running errands as well, leaving Beth the house to herself for the morning. She enjoyed the unusual quiet of the house as she poured herself a glass of orange juice. Carla had invited herself over, so Beth wasn't surprised by the front door, or the "Ugh," Carla let out as she entered the kitchen.

"Don't worry; you don't look nearly as bad as Lydia. Do you want some water?" Beth asked. Carla removed her large black sunglasses and revealed her puffy, bloodshot eyes before silently holding up a half empty 32 ounce bottle of Evian water she'd had in her purse.

Beth laughed. "Obviously this isn't your first hang-over. Please tell me your night ended better than mine. I read a book I've read a thousand times and then fell asleep before midnight." While she was talking, she reached into their refrigerator and pulled out a roll of pre-made cookie dough. Although raw dough probably wasn't the greatest food for Carla's hangover, Beth knew it would make her happy.

Carla laughed, showing the first signs of life since she'd entered Beth's kitchen, and broke off a large hunk of cookie dough. Her voice was slightly hoarse when she spoke. "I'd rather not think about the end of my night." Carla shuddered. "But weren't you supposed to meet up with someone?"

Beth rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but he never called. It was Jamie Wickham. I met him at your party. Do you know him?"

Carla nibbled on a tiny piece of cookie dough, looking thoughtful. "I've met him a few times. He's a friend of a friend. I think he's a drug dealer."

"_What_?"

Carla furrowed her brow. "Or wait—maybe he just _used_ to be a drug dealer."

Beth was looking aghast. She had not gotten that impression from Jamie at all. She could hardly speak over her shock. "Are you sure?"

"Nope," Carla replied, laughing. "I really can't remember. Jess had a friend that used to deal pot and coke, and I was thinking his name was Jamie Wickham, but now I think it was probably someone else." She shrugged. "Jamie has seemed really cool every time I've met him. He's _cute_."

Beth felt relieved, and she smiled wanly. "Yeah, and he also doesn't seem to know how to use a phone." Beth had already resigned herself to the fact that he wouldn't call. And after all, she'd only talked to him for a few hours; he wasn't a huge loss.

Carla gave Beth a sympathetic look. "I wouldn't worry about it too much, Beth. Jamie is kind of a flake. You're too good for him anyway."

Beth smiled, thankful for Carla's support. She was still curious about the end of Carla's night. "But really, where did you go? I looked for you at the Bingley's."

Carla blushed lightly and looked away. Beth had just popped a piece of dough into her mouth so she couldn't speak, but she pointed an accusatory finger at Carla, who looked pained and guilty. "_You_ spent the night with someone didn't you!" Beth teased when she could finally talk. "_Who_?" she asked excitedly, ripping off a generous piece of cookie dough for herself. "That cute guy from the beginning of the night?"

Beth bit off a piece of the cookie dough and waited for Carla to respond. She immediately regretted that decision as Carla muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'your cousin' and the dough in her suddenly dry mouth started tasting like sand.

"Whmphg?" was all Beth could manage with her mouth full, but Carla understood. She buried her face in her hands and sighed, but said distinctly, "No. Your cousin, Colin."

In a kind of involuntary gesture, Beth spat out the dough in her mouth, and it landed with a sickening plop on the counter top in front of Carla. Beth's face was frozen in horror.

Carla groaned, looking ill. "Gross. That's something I don't need to see right now."

Beth would have laughed at herself, but she was too much in shock. "G_ross_? What's really disgusting is the fact that you slept with Colin last night!" She looked around, scared that one of her family members had heard her shout, before remembering that the house was empty. She continued at a significantly lower decibel. "Carla, are you insane? How drunk were you?"

Carla took the opportunity to drink from her water bottle, and Beth wiped the dough off of the counter.

Carla sighed. "It wasn't like that; I wasn't that drunk. Colin and I got to talking about what it was like living in California. He was really nice. I don't know...one thing just kind of led to another."

Beth frowned. "Eww."

"Oh shut up. I know he's weird looking, but he was a really good listener. For some reason I started telling him about how bored I am here, and how I feel like my life is stalled. He made moving sound really easy. He's got a lot of connections; he even said he knew of an open apartment. I said that it wouldn't do any good if I didn't have a job, and then he said he knew about a couple of openings at a gallery…"

Beth was so shocked she had to sit down. She ungracefully slumped onto one of the kitchen stools. "You're moving?" she asked breathlessly. Carla had always wanted to work at a gallery. And Colin had apparently just offered Carla everything she'd been looking for. This was not how Beth had anticipated the afternoon's conversation going. Her mind was completely blank.

Carla paused before looking up. "I think so."

"All the way to California? To be with my _cousin_?"

Carla let out a laugh like a bark. "Of course not to be with Colin. Don't be ridiculous, Bee. He's just helping me out. I'm moving because I have to start living my life. I'm tired of sitting around this town, not doing anything. I think I've wasted enough time, and if I waste any more I'm going to start hating myself. Plus you're going to be away at Pemberley now. This town doesn't have anything left for me." Carla gave her a pleading look. "You understand, don't you?"

Beth was flabbergasted. She even forgot the fact that Carla had slept with Colin in light of the other, infinitely bigger news. Her best friend was leaving, was moving far, far away. Beth didn't know if she could handle it.

She and Carla spent the next few hours discussing the move and Carla's plans. With the rationale that Carla used, Beth had no way to argue Carla out of her idea. If moving thousands of miles away was the only way for her friend to be happy, Beth had to let her do it.

After Carla went home, Beth spent the rest of the day deep in thought. She couldn't help but muse over the strange twists that had suddenly crept up into her life.

She couldn't know that the biggest twist of all was on its way.

* * *

Beth slipped on her running shoes and tied the laces. She had wanted to go running earlier in the day, but the late-July afternoon heat would have made the run unbearable. The sun was low on the horizon now, and everything was bathed in its warm yellow light, so unlike the scorching mid-day sun.

Beth usually only ran a few miles through the local park and then back to her house. She'd been disconcerted to find throughout the summer that Will often ran the same path. She'd passed him several times as he was returning to the Bingley's as she was setting out. She was just thankful that they'd never left at the same time; she dreaded the idea of having to spend any amount of time with him. She kept an eye out for Will on the path, but luckily all seemed clear.

It only took her a short time to find her stride, shoes pounding a beat on the sidewalk just like her pulse. She let her mind wander.

Carla popped into her mind immediately. Beth knew she was busy looking up the details for the move to California and getting ready to finalize all the details. Beth never usually thought about the distance in their ages, but all of a sudden Carla seemed so much older. She was out, starting to live her own life, and Beth was starting college, imprisoned in school for another four years. She couldn't help sighing.

She thought about Jamie Wickham. She no longer cared that he hadn't called her. She realized that most of her interest in him had been due to excitement. It had been a long time since she'd been on a date; it'd been a while since she'd felt that excitement in meeting someone new; it'd been a long time since someone that attractive had paid any attention to her. She'd been flattered; that was all. It wasn't the end of the world that it hadn't worked out. She just wished she could meet someone who she could actually talk to: someone she could _like_.

She didn't know why her mind flashed her a picture of _Will_, of all people. Yes, maybe she'd had some pretty interesting conversations and discussions with him, and yes, she grudgingly had to admit that he was the most attractive person in her acquaintance, and _yes_, she may or may not have, on one or more occasions, wondered what it would be like to make out with him. But that didn't change the fact that he put his foot in his mouth more often than anyone she'd ever met and to top it all off he was a _horrible_ person. Maybe the worst. She gave her head a shake as she ran. She obviously just wasn't getting enough air. Will Darcy was the last person in the world she could like.

Though it was evening, the day was still warm. As Beth finished her run and returned to her street, she was covered in a sheen of sweat. Her tank top was sporting several sweat stains, which were only getting bigger as time passed. She couldn't wait to get inside and get clean. Movement in the Bingley driveway caught her attention, however, and she soon forgot all about taking a shower. Charles and Will were loading up the SUV with a considerable number of boxes, and Beth walked over to investigate.

"Hey Charles. Will. You want any help?"

The boys were sweating in the heat. Charles' shirt was soaked, and Will, who'd taken his off altogether, didn't seem to be faring much better. Beth, before she could stop herself, took one appreciative look at Will before focusing her attention entirely on Charles. She didn't care how nice Will looked without his shirt; he was still a jerk and she was going to ignore him.

"No, we're about done anyway," Charles said, responding to her question. "Thanks for the offer though." He shoved a cardboard box deeper into the van and then stepped away, smiling.

"What's all this for? You're not heading back to school already?" Beth asked curiously. She couldn't help asking; the SUV was nearly full.

Charles lost his pleasant smile and suddenly busied himself with arranging the boxes, avoiding looking at Beth.

"Will's sister got back from a summer study abroad program, and so we're going back to New York." He said it hurriedly, still not looking at her.

Beth was confused. "We? So you're going with him too?" Charles nodded, moving boxes around. "This seems like an awful lot of stuff for a weekend visit. I didn't know you were such a heavy packer," she finished, jokingly. Her smiled soon faded away too. She didn't know what she'd said, but Charles seemed suddenly very uncomfortable. He finally stopped fiddling with the contents of the van and stood up to talk to Beth, but he looked at her feet the whole time he spoke.

"I--I'm going to spend the rest of the summer there and then go straight to school in the fall." He paused. "I left some things in the house. I'm going to--" He pointed over his shoulder, and before Beth could say anything, ran back into the house.

Beth was astounded. She couldn't believe what she'd heard. Charles _leaving?_ She turned her attention reluctantly to Will. The situation was desperate enough that she couldn't ignore him.

"He's not coming back for _months_?" Beth haltingly asked Will, who was leaning against the side of the SUV. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

He wiped sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand before he spoke. "Yes. Maybe even for longer; I don't know if he's coming back at all." Will, at least, would look at her, although she almost wished he wouldn't. The matter-of-fact way he spoke made the whole thing worse.

Beth could only gape at that sentence. "But _why_?" she sputtered. She watched Will carefully as he lifted one shoulder to shrug. She could tell he was choosing his words carefully, but she didn't know for what reason.

"Caroline really wanted to go back to New York. I think she convinced Charles to go with her."

Beth was hit with a sudden wave of dismay. She wondered if Jane knew yet. As soon as she thought it, she wanted to go find out. She needed to be with her sister.

She began to back away distractedly. "I have to--tell Charles that I..." She made a vague gesture and began to walk away. She was sure Will made some reply, but Beth was too preoccupied with thoughts of Jane to notice. She ran the rest of the way home and up to Jane's room.

The scene was exactly as she'd feared. Jane had obviously been crying.

"Jane, I just heard."

Jane sniffled and wiped her nose with a bedraggled Kleenex. "Charles said we should probably take a break, since he's going to be gone for so long. But I don't understand. I know a long distance relationship would be hard, but things were going so well..."

"Jane," Beth said, hugging her sister. She didn't understand either, but she tried to be optimistic. "This doesn't mean it's completely over, there's still a chance..." Beth broke off as Jane got up suddenly and walked to her computer.

"Just read this and see if you think there's any chance."

Beth read the email from Caroline Bingley, scoffing. The email said how glad Caroline had been to meet Jane and how sad she would be to leave, not to mention how terrible the whole business of breaking up was. Caroline felt sure that it was all due to Will's sister coming back in to town, as Charles had always "been fond of Anna." It seemed completely certain to Caroline that Charles was moving for good.

"Jane, you can't take this email seriously. She's probably trying to get you worked up over nothing. I'm sure Charles will be coming back soon. He would never hurt you intentionally; he's crazy about you. I'm sure this is all a big misunderstanding. He's going to spend five minutes in New York and realize how much he misses you and how stupid this whole 'taking a break' idea is."

"You really think so?" Jane looked so defeated, so small and crumpled looking that Beth couldn't bear to tell her what she really thought. She had the sinking feeling that things really were as bad as they seemed.

She smiled brightly and rubbed her sister's arm comfortingly. "I know it's all going to work out, Jane. You'll see. How about I go make us some tea in the meantime? I know it'll make you feel at least a little better."

Jane smiled weakly, and nodded, and Beth went down to the kitchen. She banged the mugs down on the counter. She was so angry for her sister! Jane was the best girlfriend anyone could ask for, she was certain, and for Charles to treat her like this was unbelievable. She understood now why he wouldn't look at her when she was in his driveway; he was ashamed.

Beth knew though, she _knew_ that Caroline was really the one to blame. She'd gotten in to Charles's head and somehow convinced him that Jane was indifferent or after his money... Beth wasn't sure of the particulars, but she knew Charles wouldn't have done any of it on his own.

* * *

Time passes in strange ways. It moves so fast when times are happy and full of joy, and so agonizingly slow when the days are full of misery and pain. The week after Charles, Will, and Caroline left was one of the longest in Beth's life. As Beth had half expected, Charles didn't call. He was so calm and easy to persuade that Beth could easily imagine Caroline had convinced him against calling. Beth told Jane what she suspected.

"I swear it's Caroline. There's no reason for him not to call you. He was in love with you!"

"Beth, I'm not going to believe that Caroline is the liar you make her out to be. He must have not liked me as much as I liked him. There's no one to blame. I was wrong. He was perfectly nice about the whole taking a break idea," she finished weakly.

Beth was going to say more, but at the look on Jane's face she held her tongue. She stopped bringing the subject up altogether, seeing as it pained Jane so much. She didn't want to aid in her sister's heartache.

As the week passed Jane became sadder looking and quieter. Her eyes that had once sparkled with joy were dull. Everything about her was subdued.

Beth couldn't get over it. She didn't know how Jane was going to recover from the sudden loss of Charles. Despite its appearance, she knew that her sister's relationship had been more than just a summer fling. Jane cared very deeply for Charles, and his sudden departure had devastated her.

The situation was desperate enough that even their mother noticed the change in her eldest daughter. It was Fanny who ultimately came up with a solution. Fanny made an offhand suggestion one evening at the end of July that perhaps Jane would like to go visit her aunt and uncle, who lived in New York.

For the first time since Charles had left, Jane's eyes had light in them again and she appeared more like herself. Beth thought, but wisely said nothing, that the reason Jane was so excited to go to New York was the slim-to-none chance that she might meet up with the Bingleys. Both her aunt and the Bingleys lived in New York City.

Beth would have loved to go with her sister, but she had already made plans to visit Carla in California. Carla was settled into her new apartment and her new job. Beth was very curious to see what her new life was like and to meet this Miss Bourgh Carla talked about so often.

Miss Bourgh owned Carla's apartment complex and lived in the penthouse. Even more surprising, the woman was Will Darcy's great-aunt. Colin worked for her, and that was how he'd helped Carla find the apartment. Colin was terrified of the women, and even Carla seemed a little awestruck. Beth couldn't wait to meet her and form an opinion for herself.

The days suddenly couldn't seem to pass quickly enough.


	7. She sallied forth into the village

_Shine_

By Luna

Chapter 7: She sallied forth into the village

* * *

Beth was awed as she stepped out of the bus on to the curb and looked up at the massive apartment building that towered above her. The large sandstone building was an impressive piece of architecture. Beth liked it at once.

Carla greeted her on the lobby floor, and they had a loud reunion filled with many hugs in the foyer. She had hardly been able to contain her excitement on the plane ride to San Francisco. Beth couldn't help squealing as she was finally with her friend again.

She was ushered into the apartment by Carla with great pride. It was nice, with pretty wooden floors, high ceilings, and bright, interestingly colored walls. Beth could see Carla's design all over the apartment. The apartment was spacious, and quiet. The kind of place Beth loved. She told Carla so, and watched her glow with the compliment.

"I'm glad you like it. Here's the guest room you'll be staying in." Carla said, opening a door in the hallway. They continued the tour, and as they walked into the living room Beth could hear strains of Beethoven wafting through the air.

"Do you hear that music?" she asked Carla quietly.

"It's coming from the floor above us. Something about this room transmits the sound so well. I think it's the vents." She pointed to one high on the wall near the ceiling in the corner. It was wonderful imagery for Beth's imagination. She could picture all the little notes flying out of the vent and floating around in the air.

"Do they normally play classical music?"

"It's Ms Bourgh; she's always got some kind of classical stuff on. Sometimes it drives me crazy, but mostly I don't even hear it anymore.

"Who is she?" Beth asked curiously. Carla had told her months before, but she wanted more details.

"She's filthy rich. She owns a ton of real estate in San Francisco. She's widowed. I'm not sure how her husband died. I never asked. I know she has a daughter, Anne. Actually..." Carla got a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "I've heard a little rumor that Anne's all set up to be with your friend, Will Darcy. Catherine is his great aunt or something."

"Interesting," Beth said, looking around the room, and then it hit her. "Wait a minute, doesn't that make Will and Anne cousins?" she asked disbelievingly.

"Oh Yes. Kinky isn't it?" Carla joked.

"Very," Beth said, thinking of Colin warily.

They had Chinese delivered for dinner and talked about Carla's new life. Carla was loving every minute of working at the gallery. Beth was happy for her friend, but by the end of dinner she couldn't keep her yawns down any longer. It had been a very long day. Carla laughed and took pity on Beth. She sent her off to bed with a cheerful goodnight and an, 'I'll see you in the morning.'

As Beth lay there, she decided she was glad she had come. She couldn't wait for the fun she knew she and Carla would have. She loved it when she knew just where life would take her. Surprises were overrated.

* * *

Beth woke early the next morning to the sound of her phone ringing. She was surprised that Jane was calling so early before she remembered the time difference.

"You'll never guess who I ran into," Jane said in feigned nonchalance once she and Beth had said hello.

"Who?" asked Beth, playing along. She knew it was going to be Charles.

"Caroline Bingley."

"Oh!" She was surprised after all. "The devil herself. How did that go?"

Jane's effort to be cool seemed to be over. She sighed angrily.

"You were so right about her! She treated me like dirt when we met. I was so embarrassed. I didn't know how to act, or what to say. I know I made a fool out of myself. She was just so cold to me. I never expected her to act that way. You were right, Beth. I should have listened when you told me how she was," she finished hurriedly.

"Believe me; I didn't want to be right. Not this time at least." She voiced her question timidly, afraid of asking and hoping too much. "Did you talk to Charles?"

Jane's forced calmness was back. "Oh no," she said. "He was out of state visiting someone. Caroline says he and Anna Darcy are spending a lot of time together. I guess they hit it off pretty well. I didn't want to pry."

Beth let out a breath of air in disgust. "Jane, I'm sure she was lying. It's just wishful thinking on her part. If her brother and Will's sister get together she's hoping that maybe Will would finally pay her a little attention. It's pathetic! And it's not true. Charles loves you!" Beth had to say what was on her mind.

"Beth," Jane said flatly. "Please. Let's not go there. I don't want to talk about him anymore, or this summer, or anything having anything to do with that." There was uncomfortable silence on both ends.

_'So what can I talk about?'_ Beth thought miserably. "So, how 'bout them Yankees?"

* * *

"What are these?" Beth asked, holding up a pair of tickets so that Carla could see. She'd just finished enjoying a quiet dinner with Carla when her eyes fell on the envelope on the counter. She looked closer and was able to read the name of an art studio before Carla began to speak.

"I thought you might like to come to the gallery. There's a show tonight for the new collection. There should be all sorts of socialites and C-list celebrities. Those tickets probably sold for 250 dollars, but they give them to you free when you work there..." Carla finished puckishly.

Beth smiled excitedly. "That sounds amazing!" She bit the corner of her lip. "But I didn't bring anything to wear to something like this."

"You can borrow something of mine," Carla said. Beth smiled again. Carla had something of a shopping addiction, and so going through her closet was like shopping in a designer store for free. Beth was just thankful that they were similar enough in size to share clothing.

She instantly fell in love with a simple, strapless dress of shimmering red fabric. She borrowed a pair of black heels and a necklace with a large, single black stone on a chain. She liked the way the cold stone felt against her neck. It wasn't every night that she got to dress up for a party, and so Beth took extra care in getting ready.

Beth was positively giddy on the ride to the gallery. She was more than jealous of Carla, who suddenly had a big-girl life of her own complete with a nice apartment and a steady job where she got to attend expensive parties for free.

The gallery was crowded. Beth felt small compared to the arching white walls and the expansive dark hardwood floor. She looked around, but didn't see any celebrities, only a crowd of unusually attractive people. Everyone was slender and tan. As Beth and Carla stood getting their bearings, a waiter came by with a tray of champagne, and Carla grabbed two flutes for them.

"Here's to us," she said smiling, and Beth laughed at the simple toast, feeling everything was right in the world. She liked the taste of the cool, crisp bubbles, and the feeling of importance she got from standing in a posh gallery drinking champagne. She wished that Jane could be with her to enjoy the party, and that Lydia could see her just so she would be jealous.

Shortly after they had arrived, Carla was pulled to a back room to help with a misplaced painting, and Beth was left to wander the gallery by herself.

Standing amid the crowd of people in her borrowed heels and dress, drinking her second glass of champagne, Beth was both extremely happy and a little drunk. And perhaps the latter had something to do with the former.

She was quite happy to be alone, as she could take as long as she liked to look at the artwork on display. Some of it was simply astounding, like the painting with the mass of swirling colors that looked like chaos until it became clear that the picture was just as strictly ordered and beautiful as a melody. Beth stared at the painting for a long while, wondering if everyone was seeing the same beauty she was.

Not having her own conversations allowed her to listen to others, and she couldn't help but inwardly laugh at the pundit who was trying to explain the deep meaning behind the pieces of spun glass in a case that were so obviously shaped like sperm. Beth rolled her eyes and turned to see Carla waving her over.

Beth hurried over, happy to see that her friend had returned from the missing painting quest. Beth was a bit nonplussed at the older woman with whom Carla was speaking until the thought finally hit her that perhaps this was the infamous Ms. Bourgh.

Carla confirmed her suspicion as she introduced Beth. "Catherine, this is my very good friend Beth, who's visiting all the way from Maryland. Beth, this is Catherine Bourgh. She owns my beautiful apartment building."

The thought that Will was very much like his aunt was the first thing that came to Beth's mind. Catherine was tall, at least a full inch taller than Beth, and it was obvious that she had once been very beautiful. She stood in a way that reminded Beth very strongly of Will. Chalk it up with the dark hair, now flecked with small amounts of gray, and Beth could definitely see the resemblance. The only difference was their eyes. Catherine Bourgh was known for her piercing blue eyes, while Will's eyes, on the other hand, were green as grapes.

Her handshake was firm, almost to the point of pain, and Beth tried not to flinch. Catherine didn't seem like a woman she wanted to appear weak in front of. Her dress was simple, conservative and black, but the ostentatious diamond necklace gave away the fact that Ms. Bourgh was rolling in money.

"Charmed, I'm sure," Catherine murmured before turning her eyes to the crowd. "I came here for a new piece for my living room and got a spectacle instead. How marvelous."

She said it in complete deadpan, and so Beth wasn't sure if she meant it sarcastically or not. To be sure, some of the women walking around the gallery were wearing inappropriately small dresses, but Beth hadn't thought anything of it. Catherine apparently did not agree.

"Well," Catherine said, turning her attention back to Beth. "Bennet was your last name you said? Any relation to the Bennettes in Arizona?"

Beth had to shake her head no, and Catherine sighed. "That's a shame. They make wonderful diamond jewelry. Where is it in Maryland that you live?"

Either Ms. Bourgh was especially quizzical that night, or Beth caught her interest, for she asked Beth many questions, some quite a ways off from polite inquiry. Catherine was especially interested in her family. She seemed to be trying to find a mutual acquaintance to talk about. Unfortunately, the Bennets and Ms. Bourgh came from very different social circles.

Catherine paused in the questioning for a moment and looked critically at Beth, who immediately began to feel uncomfortable. Talking to Catherine was a scary experience; having her gaze silently was much worse.

"Your face has lovely bone structure." She said it almost grudgingly, and Beth gaped and blushed, unsure of what to do with the sudden compliment, but Catherine was continuing. "But I didn't think curly hair was in style any longer. At least, not the way _you're _wearing it. Do you ever straighten it?"

Beth blinked, too surprised to be offended. Catherine's style of mixing compliments with insults threw her off, and it took her a second to respond.

"No, not really. I--." Catherine cut her off before she could finish the sentence. She was looking critically at Beth again, and Beth braced herself for a nasty comment. However all Catherine asked was her age.

"I'm 18." Beth said, thankful she wasn't holding a champagne flute any more. She wished she could think of a polite way to end her conversation with Catherine. Carla was busy speaking with one of her coworkers, and all the attention was making Beth uncomfortable; she never knew when Catherine was going to slide in one of her biting critiques.

Catherine didn't look pleased at the sound of Beth's age. "Only 18. That's too young to be gallivanting about the country. You should be at home getting ready for college. My great-nephew is going to be a junior in college, Pemberley University, of course, just like his dear father. He's such an exceptional boy, so smart, and—why are you grinning like that?" Catherine demanded, breaking off mid-sentence. Beth was grimacing, not grinning, but she answered that she had met Will on a previous occasion.

Catherine seemed surprised that she and Will had an acquaintance, which immediately made Beth feel contrary. In any other circumstance she would have pretended to not know Will very well, but the fact that Catherine didn't think she was good enough to be friends with Will made Beth want to pretend that they were best friends. Beth made a few comments about spending vacation with Will at the beach house, which made Catherine frown.

She smiled happily a second later though. "Yes, well Will usually spends his summer vacations with me. In fact--"

But Beth had spotted a way out of the conversation, and she cut Catherine off. "Oh _no_, I think I left my jacket in the bathroom. It was lovely meeting you, but if you'll excuse me..."

She hadn't worn a jacket, and she certainly hadn't left it in the bathroom, but Catherine didn't know that.

"By all means dear," Catherine said, waving her off. With a happy sigh Beth walked away into the crowd. She hoped she'd never have to have a one on one conversation with Catherine Bourgh ever again.

* * *

In the time that Beth had spent talking with Catherine the gallery had cleared out a little. She noticed several paintings and a sculpture that she had missed the first time around, and she walked over to check them out. The same man who had been speaking about the spun glass sperm was now lecturing about the sculpture. It was decidedly modern, showing a head with three faces with pieces of glass like a mirror on the wall behind it. An attractive blond woman at his elbow was absorbing every word the man said.

His speech was dotted with words like 'nouveau' and 'deco' but Beth was certain that the majority of what he was saying was complete nonsense. She was suddenly struck with a wicked idea.

She walked up to stand on the other side of the man and began nodding emphatically to the points he was making. He gave her a nod and continued with his lecture about the sculpture. When he broke off to take a breath, Beth, with as much dignity as she could muster, said "I think the artist must have been profoundly influenced by the Jacobean period."

She'd gone for the most obscure and irrelevant era she could think of, but the man was nodding as seriously as if she'd made a real point.

"Yes, yes perhaps," he murmured, his chin is his hands, and Beth had to fight hard not to burst out laughing. He was posing as an art critic just to impress the blond woman at his arm.

"It's pure Machiavelli if you ask me," said another, deeper male voice behind them. "Just look at the end result."

The man nodded again, but he hurriedly ushered the blond woman away to another painting, afraid that he was about to be exposed.

Beth smiled, happy at the thought that someone else had caught on to her game, but her smile waned as she realized the voice was oddly familiar.

She turned around to see who else had spoken and was at eye level with a nice pair of shoulders in a perfectly tailored blazer. A wave of dismay came over her. She finally looked up to meet a familiar pair of green eyes looking down at her.

"What are you doing here?" they asked at the same time.

"Carla works here," she answered. "I'm visiting her before school starts."

"My aunt lives in the city. My cousin and I are visiting her before school starts."

"Cousin?" It was all Beth could think of to say. Will's presence and the smile that he was flashing at her had knocked her off kilter.

"Yeah. He's around here somewhere."

Will opened his mouth to ask her something else, but Beth never got to find out what it was. A man with an expensive looking camera dangling from his neck interrupted their conversation.

"Can I take your picture for San-Fran Scene. com? Great. Get closer together; don't be shy."

Beth's only consolation was that Will looked just as confused and as much like a deer in headlights as she did.

"Oh--" was all Will had managed to say, and "But--" was all Beth got out before the photographer pushed them together, wrapping Will's arm around her shoulder. His hand was on the bare skin of her arm and the whole length of her body was warm where their sides touched.

"Great. Smile!" the photographer said, and with a click and a flash so bright Beth was momentarily blinded, their picture was taken. She wasn't sure if she'd managed to smile or not. "This'll be up on the website tomorrow if you want to see it. Here's a card with the link. Thanks guys." He handed the card to Will and then briskly walked away to harass a small group of women.

Beth tried to blink away the after-images, but the big black dot remained in her vision. She realized she was blushing hotly as she stepped away from Will. She no longer cared why Will was in town; she only wanted to get away. She didn't bother making up an excuse this time, but instead simply said "Excuse me", trying to save what was left of her dignity in a smooth getaway.

Will was tempted to call after her, but instead he simply looked at the card in his hands. His cousin, Rich, walked over and ruffled his hair.

"Did that photographer come find you?" he asked with a wide grin, and Will punched him on the shoulder.

"You're a jerk, Rich." His cousin knew how much he hated things like that and always purposely sent the photographers or reporters after Will, and this time had been particularly bad timing. He probably wouldn't get another chance to talk to Beth. But he couldn't help laughing as Rich grimaced and rubbed his shoulder.

"Come on, Will. You shouldn't be mad. That was _her_, wasn't it?"

Will looked out over the heads of the people in the crowd until he spotted Beth's curly hair. She was talking with Carla, laughing. He looked down at the crisp card in his hand again. "Yeah, that's her."

* * *

Beth's peace of mind was shattered. She couldn't help watching Will from the corner of her eye for the rest of the evening. He didn't do much more than wander around the gallery talking with another tall young man with light brown hair. At least he'd gotten the message; he didn't try to talk to her again.

Beth was thankful. She couldn't imagine having to avoid both him and his aunt. The gallery only had so many places to hide. She felt childish and embarrassed, but she couldn't help it. She didn't want to be around Will.

The memory of the photo still mortified her every time she thought of it. Mostly because thrown in with all the other emotions of embarrassment and awkwardness was the attraction she always seemed to feel when she saw him.

This attraction was always violently suppressed, but that didn't change the fact that, as much as she disliked him, it was there. She'd felt it in the brief amount of time that his arm was around her shoulder, and that was partly why she'd run away so quickly. She simply didn't know what else to do. Will was a giant jumble of confusion in her head that she wouldn't even consider trying to unravel.

Beth was happy to leave the gallery with Carla. She felt that her perfect night had been ruined, and it was all Will's fault. She didn't fare much better at the apartment the next day, as she was afraid to wander around the complex; she didn't know if Will was staying with his aunt or not, but she didn't want to risk running into him.

"This is crazy," she finally said to herself, and she got ready to make a surprise visit to Carla at work. She wasn't going to let the idea of Will keep her from having fun.

* * *

"I can't believe they pay you to do this," Beth muttered, and Carla laughed. They were sitting on chairs behind the reception desk, and they'd done nothing but chat for an hour.

"Hey, it's a lot of work. You're just here on a slow day. Usually the phone rings off the hook." Almost on cue, the phone began ringing shrilly, and Carla gave Beth a smug look before answering.

Beth took the opportunity to walk over to her favorite painting in the collection, the one with the chaotic color swirls. To her surprise, there was a small blue dot posted next to the info card, a sure sign that it had sold the evening before. She felt a little disappointed, but hoped that whoever had purchased it appreciated it as much as she did.

Carla was off the phone again. "I get off work in ten minutes. What did you want to do? Hopefully no one else comes in. Do you want to go get sushi? I've suddenly got a craving for it."

Beth agreed, but unfortunately a customer came in just before Carla began to close up the gallery. Beth blinked as Catherine Bourgh waltzed in through the doors.

"Sorry I'm late. Traffic was horrendous." She paused. "Is my painting ready?"

"Yes, of course. I'll page David to come package it for you," Carla said in a rush, reaching for the phone.

As Catherine walked over to her, Beth finally realized that the painting they were speaking of was, in fact, _her_ painting, or what she had come to consider as her painting. "It's a beautiful piece," Beth said, as Catherine stood next to her, viewing the artwork.

"I don't see anything really remarkable about it, but my nephew was raving about it last night. Apparently he shares your sentiments. I thought I might as well buy it as not. He'll enjoy it in any case."

Beth shut her gaping mouth and tried in vain to think of a response. To think, _her _painting had been purchased by someone who didn't give a damn one way or another. She ignored what it implicated about the similarity of her taste in art to Will's.

Carla came to oversee the work as several men in blue overalls packaged the painting and took it out to the delivery van.

"I assume you have plans for the evening," Catherine said by way of inquiry.

"Not anything definite—" Carla began, and Catherine cut in.

"You should come to dinner then. I'm meeting my nephews just down the street. No, I insist," Catherine said as Beth and Carla attempted to object.

Beth felt as though her voice had dropped into the pit of her stomach, and she struggled to find words but Carla shrugged good-naturedly. "Okay. Sure. I just have to finish closing, so we'll meet you there."

Beth inwardly groaned, but waited until Catherine had left before she started griping.

"_Why_ did you say yes? This is going to be so awful." She bit her lip in consternation.

"What? It's a free meal at I'm sure what's going to be an insanely expensive restaurant. I don't understand the problem."

Beth groaned loudly, and Carla gave her a funny look. "_What_ is wrong? Is there something I'm missing here?"

Beth colored slightly under Carla's searching look, but she shook her head. She couldn't explain to herself why she found the idea of dinner so terrible, and so she certainly couldn't explain it to Carla. "There are just going to be a lot of awkward silences. I don't even know Catherine Bourgh."

Carla scoffed. "Please. She'll talk so much that there won't be time for awkwardness. Plus you and Will know each other, right? Talk to him."

Beth was glad that Carla was busy locking up the door to the shop so she didn't catch the face Beth had made. Still, she read something in Beth's silence. "You're nervous, aren't you? Beth, I never would have expected it from you. Just picture them in their underwear or something," she said, laughing.

"Somehow, I don't think the mental picture of Catherine in her underwear is going to help me," Beth said, scowling. '_Or anyone else in the room, for that matter._'

Carla laughed again, and linked arms with Beth. Beth sighed in resignation as they stepped out into the evening air.

* * *

It wasn't long before Beth was seated at the table across from Will. Catherine had breezed into the restaurant, rounded up her nephews, and in what seemed like seconds, the staff was falling over itself to get a new table ready for her and her guests. It was all arranged by the time Beth and Carla arrived.

Beth had tried to get a seat next to Carla and Catherine, but the other young man in the party had pulled a chair out for her, and so she'd ended up directly where she didn't want to be. She soon found out that he was Richard Fitzwilliam, Will's cousin, although after spending five minutes with him, Beth found that hard to believe.

He was tall like Will, but that was where the familial resemblance ended. Rich was gregarious and open, but she could tell he had a mischievous streak too. Before even their drinks had arrived, Beth was bombarded with tales of all the pranks Rich had pulled on Will during this trip alone; she liked him immediately and was no longer upset at agreeing to come to the dinner.

Rich asked her where she was staying, and when she gave Carla's address, he grinned.

"You're just a flight of stairs away. We're both staying with Aunt Catherine," Rich said, nodding at Will. "We'll have to visit you sometime."

She was especially drawn to Rich's laugh. He had a contagious, mirthful chuckle. She suspected Will had a very similar one, but he hardly ever used it, as opposed to Rich who always seemed to be laughing. She heard Rich laugh more in 15 minutes than she'd ever heard Will in their entire acquaintance. Rich was laughing now as he recounted a story to her and Carla.

Will looked down at his plate, trying to hide a smirk. He'd heard Rich's story before, and he knew exactly where it was going. He sneaked a discreet look at Beth. She was totally engrossed, eyes alight with mirth. He'd never seen her be so carefree before. She certainly never laughed like that around Jane or Charles.

Having forgotten his food, Rich, with hand motions and all, was intently finishing his story.

"There he is staring at this grease fire that's getting bigger and bigger on the stove, and you know he's got no idea what to do about it, and taking the pan off the fire seems like a pretty good idea. But the handle of the pan is metal and burns his hand to a crisp, so he ends up throwing it across the room. The poor guy; it lands on a brand new rug, starts a _new_ fire, and burns a giant hole in it. It smelled so awful in that room for days after. Why are you shaking your head like that Will? Huh?" Rich finished while everyone else laughed. Will had been shaking his head with a sideways grin on his face.

"You failed to mention that A: the 'guy' in the story was _you_, and B: it was my rug that I'd just bought to hide the _other_ stain on the floor that you made when you spilled all that paint." Carla and Beth burst into fresh laughter, and Rich smiled sheepishly.

"Did you have to go and ruin my reputation, Fitz? You could have waited at least until after dinner."

This statement caused Beth to be confused about three things: Why Rich had called Will 'Fitz', why Will was suddenly looking like someone had just told his dirtiest secret to the whole room, and why Rich looked happily as if he'd just gotten his revenge.

"Fitz?" Beth offered up. She'd never heard anyone use it before.

Will was scowling deeply now, looking like he wanted to severely hurt Rich.

"If looks could maim, coz. It seems that Will," he said, now talking to Beth. "Has neglected to tell you that his first name is not William, oh no, no. It's Fitzwilliam. Fitzwilliam Gregory Darcy. Quite the title, I'd say," Rich said, grinning. Will looked highly embarrassed.

"Isn't your last name Fitzwilliam?" she asked Rich, and he nodded. "Your last name is his first name?"

"Actually, it's my mother's maiden name; she named me after herself, I guess," Will said, talking directly to Beth for the first time that night. She smiled to herself as the idea sunk in.

"I like that. Sons are always named after their fathers. It's nice to hear it be the other way around for once."

"I feel sorry for your husband; he's going to have to put up with a son named Bennet. At least my last name makes sense to use," Carla said, teasing Beth.

"I won't name my son Bennet. Although, it would make a good middle name…it would!" she protested, as Carla gave her a disbelieving look.

Will wasn't scowling any more. He had on a happy smile. Beth found herself smiling back without thinking. She could never resist a happy smile on anyone. She looked back down at her food quickly. Beth found it very disconcerting that every time she looked up Will's eyes were on her. Granted, when sitting across from someone there are only so many directions to look, but still, it was making her feel flustered.

Catherine had been engrossed in a phone conversation, but now she was intent on the table once more. "Will," she called out shrilly. Beth had to bite down to keep from laughing at the expression that had come over his face. "How is your sister? When she visited me last I was shocked to hear that she didn't practice every day. She'll never succeed at Julliard going on like that. Of course, I could buy her way into any other college, but that gets so tiring after a while. You know—."

"She's been practicing," Will said, cutting her off. He wanted to prevent the speech that he knew was bound to follow.

"What instrument does she play?" Beth asked, curious despite herself. She loved music.

"Cello."

She waited a while, thinking he was going to elaborate, but he didn't. "I see." She stopped. It was like trying to talk to a brick wall. However nice he was acting, apparently some things didn't change.

Rich leaned over slightly to talk to her. "Beth, I'm very interested to hear what you have to say on Will. I know you met him before tonight. You got any dirt on him? He always stays so squeaky clean. I can never figure out how he does it."

Will's eyes had gone big, and Beth had the suspicion that he would have kicked Rich under the table if he could have. She laughed. "I have a story I think you'll enjoy then." She shot a sideways glance at Will, who was looking sheepish and as though he knew what was coming.

"I met Will at a Jazz festival. Before we had even been introduced he was insulting me to my face. He stood on his own almost the whole night and refused to talk with anyone. You can't imagine how the girls in town were talking. I'm surprised he didn't get lynched."

Rich laughed. "That sounds like him all right, always the life of the party. But Will, really? Insulting a beautiful lady like that? Honestly, I wonder about you."

"Wait a second. I apologized to Beth for what I said. I didn't mean it. What was I supposed to do? I hadn't been introduced to anyone. I'm not like you, Rich. I don't make instant friends with people," he finished.

"You are so right, Will. No one _ever_ gets introduced at festivals. What an _absurd_ idea," Beth said, sarcastically.

He sighed, but consented. "Okay, so maybe I should have asked to be introduced, but I hate asking people to do that for me. It seems so rude."

"That's not why," Rich said smiling to Beth. "He's just too lazy to ask."

Catherine interrupted their conversation. "Beth, why didn't you tell us earlier? Carla was just telling me how you play the piano. I'm sure you noticed the baby grand in the other room. We've got one just like it at the apartment. The local history museum is always asking if I'll donate it, but I couldn't bear to. It's been in the family for generations. It's not like I don't donate enough money anyway..."

It seemed Catherine had brought up Beth's playing just to show off the piano, but she wished Catherine hadn't said anything. She usually stayed quiet about her years of piano.

Beth had noticed the piano as soon as they'd walked in. It was beautiful, with shiny dark cherry wood, and keys that looked like and probably were real ivory. They didn't make pianos like it anywhere any more. Her fingers had itched to play it the moment she'd seen it, but she hadn't played in years, and starting up again in front of an entire restaurant didn't seem like the greatest idea.

"You play?" Rich asked. He and Will both looked surprised.

"I used to," Beth said, trying to change the subject. Carla however joined in from the other end of the table.

"Beth, you were so good. I couldn't believe when you gave it up. You should get back into it."

Beth shrugged and said something noncommittal, feeling uncomfortable.

"I have to ask why," Rich said, smiling. "Everyone thinks you were great. Why'd you give it up?"

Beth sighed and shrugged. "I grew out of it, I guess. I hated going to lessons. And I could never do anything with it in life. I knew I wasn't going to be a performer; I hate playing in front of people." She stabbed a piece of carrot on her plate agitatedly.

That was the real reason why she'd stopped. When she was alone, just her and the piano, she was great. She could play anything.

But as soon as she was playing in front of someone she got unbelievably nervous. Her hands sweated, her heart beat in her throat, and she invariably messed up. Her fingers became clumsy and thick, tripping over the keys and the melodies that had been so simple earlier.

Will caught her eye, smiling sardonically. "I guess neither of us does very well in front of strangers."

She blinked, surprised. That he had understood something about her without her telling him was alarming. He'd read her so easily, and she had misunderstood him completely. She couldn't believe she had something in common with him, and that all of his confusing behavior could so easily be explained by being nervous in front of strangers. Was that what it all came down to?

She blinked again and really looked at him for the first time in a long time. She tried to think of all her past encounters with him. She could remember how tense his shoulders had been as they'd walked into Carla's party earlier in the summer, how he'd spent half the night outside at the Bingley's barbeque to avoid being the center of attention.

"Will!" Catherine's voice pierced through the room again, and Beth jumped. She blushed slightly and looked away as she realized that the whole time she'd been looking at him, he'd been returning her gaze.

"I can't hear a word you're saying," Catherine continued.

Still feeling flustered, Beth turned to Rich and was glad she no longer had to focus on Will.

After dinner was finished, they returned to the lobby of the restaurant. Catherine once again started a heated conversation with someone on her cell phone, Carla excused herself to use the restroom, and Rich, after saying goodbye to Beth, went outside to the pull the car around for his aunt, which left Will and Beth alone together to wait. The lobby was loud with noises from the restaurant, and Beth had to stand close to Will to be able to be heard, but she had to ask him some questions.

"You and Charles left in a hurry this summer." Beth hadn't wanted to bring the subject up, but she couldn't resist. Some part of her still wanted answers for Jane, and she thought this might be her last chance to get them.

Will nodded, looking surprised by the subject, and he made a noncommittal response, but that was all Beth could get from him.

A silence passed between them again, and she did some quick thinking. "Do you think Charles will ever come back?" she tried to ask nonchalantly.

"No. I don't think so." He looked like he didn't want to talk about it any more, but Beth had to know.

She pressed on. "So he's going to buy an apartment in New York? Or at his school?"

"I'm sure he will when he gets a chance."

She thought he might say more, but he didn't. He looked uncomfortable. "That's good. For him, I mean. It must be nice to be completely independ—. " Her sentence faded off as Carla came back from the bathroom. She looked surprised to find Beth engaged in conversation with Will and even more surprised at how close they were standing.

"Are you coming with me?" she asked Beth, and Beth gave her a look of astonishment.

"Of course. What else would I be doing? Bye Will," she said simply, and he nodded. They both said a quiet goodbye to Catherine before leaving the restaurant to walk back to Carla's car, which was parked in the gallery parking lot.

"I thought we didn't like him," Carla said once the doors closed behind them.

"We don't."

"Right. So we talk like _that_ with people we don't like."

"Talk like what? I hate it when you use the royal 'we', Carla," Beth said, avoiding the issue. She hadn't thought there was anything off about her conversation with Will.

Carla scoffed. "Whatever. You like him," she offered up in a singsong voice.

"I do not…" Beth protested lightly.

And it was true; she didn't like him. But she found that she couldn't quite hate him anymore either.


	8. Against will, reason, and character

_Shine_

By Luna

Chapter 8: Against will, reason, and character

* * *

Beth had a lot to think about that evening. The dinner had gone fantastically better than she had anticipated. She had enjoyed getting to know Rich.

Inevitably though, her thoughts were stuck on the other cousin. She didn't feel like she understood Will at all. Maybe she had judged him too quickly in the beginning, too harshly. She was beginning to have a suspicion that she'd been wrong about him.

For one thing, Jamie Wickham hadn't turned out to be the most reliable man. Beth realized, suddenly, that the only concrete thing she had against Will was what he had done to Jamie. She still thought it was a horrible thing for him to have done, but she found that she couldn't bring herself to be so worked up about it any more. She had an idea now that there was probably more to the story than what appeared.

For another thing, all of Will's closest friends seemed to be really nice, good people. She'd never had so much fun with a new acquaintance as with Rich, and despite what Charles had done to her sister, she knew that he was a good person at heart. She was still certain that the break-up had been all Caroline's doing. She doubted that Rich and Charles would still be friends with Will if he was as bad as Jamie had made him out to be.

He had insulted and condescended to her. He'd been cold and aloof, and Beth hadn't been able to forgive him for any of it. He was as unlike his open and carefree cousin as it was possible to be, and she'd judged him mercilessly for it. But despite his verbal blunders, he'd never really done anything to Beth.

Sometimes he was nice; sometimes he was funny, but she'd been holding his first impression against him this whole time. Beth gave a huge sigh. She would never be able to decide if he deserved a second chance or not.

* * *

"Wear it."

"I will _not_ wear that."

"Wear it!"

"_No_," Beth replied, laughing. "Carla, I'll look like a hooker. I don't want to look like a hooker."

"You'd only look like a hooker if you wore thigh-high boots. If you wear normal shoes, you'll look like a very classy lady."

The dress in dispute was black. It wasn't too tight, too short, or too low cut, but it was nonetheless a _sexy_ dress.

Carla shook the dress, which was still on its hanger. "You have to try it on, at least. You won't think it's scandalous once you see it."

Beth sighed, but consented, taking the dress from Carla. Her friend had impeccable taste in clothing and had never steered Beth wrong before. She figured she would have to take this one on faith.

Rich had dropped by an hour earlier to invite them both out for drinks at one of the downtown bars. He and Will were going. Beth had pouted, looking downcast as she'd had to admit that she wasn't 21. But then Carla had winked and, after rummaging through her purse for a few minutes, produced her old fake I.D. Their hair was close enough in color that Beth would be able to use it, too. Rich had grinned, as though he approved completely, and the girls had spent the last half hour debating about what to wear. She was excited because she'd never been out in San Francisco before, and she was nervous because she still didn't know what to think about Will. Like it or not, if she wanted to spend any time with Rich, it appeared that she'd have to accept being around Will too.

Beth stepped into the dress and had Carla do up the zipper for her. She turned to check out her reflection in the mirror and almost gawked at herself. Carla had been right; it looked different off the hanger. It looked _nice_.

Beth turned, first one way and then the other, looking at her reflection from different angles. "I'll just wear flats…"

"Ha!" Carla said loudly, with triumph, before heading to the bathroom to get herself ready.

Beth grinned, but, after all, it would be almost a sin not to wear a dress that fit her so well…

In no time, there was a knock on the apartment door, and Beth hurried to answer it, grabbing her purse. She was greeted with the sight of Will scowling in apparent pain and rubbing his shoulder. He attempted to hide it as she swung the door open further and the result was the most pained looking smile she'd ever seen on anyone. Rich, looking far too innocent, was standing next to him, failing to hold back his laughter. Beth couldn't help smiling as she looked from one to the other. It was perfectly obvious that Rich had just sucker-punched Will.

"Now boys…" she said, doing her best impression of her mother.

"He started it." Rich said it altogether too quickly for Beth to believe it to be true, and the way that Will shook his head in resignation only confirmed her suspicion.

Carla, hopping as she walked and slipped on her shoe, finally appeared, and the four of them set off for the evening.

* * *

The bouncer stared at Beth's face for a few seconds before looking back to the face on the I.D. Then he ogled her chest for another 10 seconds before letting her inside. Beth gave a small humph, but ultimately decided that she wasn't above using her physical attributes in order to get in the bar. The lights were dim and the baseline of the music thumped in the background. There were people spread out all around.

Led by the waitress, the four of them all slid into a circular booth. Beth ended up as far from Will as she could be, but she was all right with that. He'd barely said a word the entire night. She wondered why he had come.

A waitress swung by the table to take their drink orders. Beth chose a mixed drink from the menu that she'd never heard of before. She hoped it would be good. Carla was busy eying the room. She nudged Beth under the table.

"3:00—check him out. The blond. _Hot_," she said quietly to Beth, and Beth nonchalantly turned her head in that direction. She was very used to this kind of behavior from Carla.

"You should go for it," she said in approval, and Carla laughed.

"Believe me; I will. Just give me a drink first."

Almost on cue, the waitress returned with all their drinks. Carla started in on hers happily, but Beth could hardly drink hers. She slid it over to Carla, indicating that she could have hers as well. The drink was too tart for Beth. She made a face, sticking her tongue out, and Rich laughed at her.

"Don't like it?"

"Ugh, no." Their waitress was nowhere in sight, and as the establishment was busy, it seemed that it would be a while before she would be back.

Will was in the outermost seat at their round table, and Rich nudged him.

"Go get the lady another drink. She doesn't like this one."

Beth laughed uncomfortably and told Will not to trouble himself, but he got up nonetheless.

"What do you want instead?" he asked. He didn't look put out, so Beth relaxed slightly.

She didn't want to spend another five minutes looking through the drink menu, and she didn't want to waste any more of Will's time than she had to so she shrugged. "Anything but this."

He raised his eyebrows, but headed off to the bar.

She watched Will walk away for a moment before turning her attention to Rich. "Are you having a good time visiting?" she asked, and he grinned.

"Of course. I always have a good time here. I'm just happy to spend time with Will."

Beth must have accidentally made a face because Rich laughed.

"What? I know he takes a while to warm up to people, and I guess from what you said you guys didn't start out on the best foot, but he's like my brother." Rich smiled again, and he turned to look at Will, who was leaning against the bar, patiently waiting his turn.

"He's closer than my brother. I know there isn't anybody who's got my back as much as he does." Rich took a sip of his drink. "He's a good guy. I pull those jackass pranks on him all the time to try to rile him up and get him to react to something. He's stuck in his head too much. Plus he's so good-natured about stuff. He doesn't get pissy when I publicly humiliate him…"

Rich and Beth both laughed, though Beth was deep in thought. She didn't know what to say in response. Here again was more praise from someone who knew Will well.

"What day are you leaving?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Saturday," she replied sadly. She was having a great time and didn't want to have to go back home.

"Yeah, us too. We have to go visit Will's friend, Charles, for a couple of days."

"Charles Bingley?" Beth asked with excitement. "You'll like him. He's a really nice guy."

"Yeah, that's what I've heard. His sister on the other hand…"

Here Beth laughed again. "Yes. Caroline is an interesting character, that's for sure."

Carla let out a bark of laughter, already more than halfway through her drink. "That's an understatement. You should say what you really think about her, Beth."

Beth smiled and nodded her head while Rich looked at them with interest. "Okay, fine. She's a huge bitch."

He threw back his head and laughed for a few moments. "And apparently she holds a lot of sway with her brother. "

Beth paused, her mouth slightly open. She wondered if he could possibly mean what she thought he meant.

Beth cautiously nodded her head. "Yes. This summer she decided she had to go back to New York, and she made her brother go with her. We were all surprised by that."

Rich took another drink. "I've heard worse than that about her."

Beth shot a quick look to the bar, but Will was busy, engaged with the bartender.

Beth leaned in, not bothering to hide her interest. Carla had leaned in too, so Beth didn't feel that she was giving too much away. Rich also looked quickly at the bar.

"I'm not really supposed to tell, but I think you can keep a secret. Will didn't really give any details. He just said that she forced Charles out of some summer relationship he was in."

Carla's mouth had dropped open, but Beth gave her an intense glance, frantically telegraphing for her to stay quiet. They both knew that the girl had to be Jane.

"Did Will say why Caroline had done it?" She forced herself to say it. "How did he find out?"

"I think Caroline just recently told him what she had done. He didn't say why. She was probably trying to save Charles from getting hurt. I don't know."

Beth had to gulp back on her response as Will reappeared at the table, drinks in hand. This new information had thrown her completely off balance, and she had to force herself to stay calm.

"Thank you," she said to Will, although all she really wanted to do was question him about Caroline. "What is it?"

He surprised her completely by flashing a smile. "Anything but that," he said, indicating the drink that Carla was now busy slurping up through a straw. Rich laughed, though he quieted as Will slid a double shot of whiskey in front of him.

"For me? Oh, you shouldn't have," Rich said with fake gratitude. "But I'm not taking shots unless you are too."

Will shook his head, a mischievous look on his face as he smiled at Rich. "I only bought that one for you. Unless you want to wait until the waitress comes back, you'll have to take it on your own."

Rich sighed, leaning over to Beth. "It isn't fun to be the only drunk person at the table."

Beth looked at Carla, who was looking challengingly back at Rich. "Please. You just try to keep up with me."

He arched an eyebrow, looking at the two drinks she had already finished. Then he smiled, raising his shot glass to her.

"Cheers." He nodded and then downed the drink, shaking his head like a dog afterward. Carla gave him a high-five from across the table, obviously pleased to have a drinking partner.

"So where do you go to school?" Carla asked Rich curiously. Beth sipped absently on her drink, overjoyed that Carla was taking control of the conversation. She needed to figure out what she thought about this news of Caroline's interference, but the bar wasn't exactly the best place for deep contemplations. It was too loud, and she kept losing track of her thoughts.

She had always suspected that Charles's sister had been the cause of the break up, but to know it for a fact was so disconcerting! Beth wanted to rip Caroline's skinny little arms off! When she thought of Jane and how much the break up with Charles had hurt her, she couldn't help feeling totally enraged. She didn't understand how anyone could be so cruel.

Rich and Carla ordered more drinks. She caught a snippet of the conversation as Carla told one of her favorite stories, and turned back to her own thoughts.

Beth's eyes kept falling onto Will. He was watching Carla as she spoke, a light smile on his face. In the bar lights, his blue shirt looked black. He'd rolled the sleeves up to the elbows. She couldn't keep from wondering how much he had known about everything. Had he only recently found out, or had he known all along? Beth tried to remember that day by the SUV, but there was too much to distract her.

But if Will had known all along…

Caroline had split them up. Everything was her fault. But, if Will had known and had done nothing about it, that would put him at fault as well. He wasn't as guilty as Caroline, but that wouldn't keep Beth from blaming him.

"You must have really liked that drink," Rich said, and Beth had to quickly look away as Will's eyes met hers. She didn't know how long she'd been staring at him, deep in thought.

"Huh?"

Rich laughed and pointed to her drink, which was all gone except for the ice cubes.

"I said that you must've liked it."

Beth hadn't tasted a single sip; she'd been too busy thinking about her sister, but she nodded anyway.

"Good. We ordered you another one," Carla said, smiling brightly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, there's a man over there that I just have to introduce myself to." Carla grabbed her key-ring from her purse and extracted the apartment key, handing it to Beth. "Hopefully, I won't need this tonight," she said, waggling her eyebrows. "And if I do, you'll just have to let poor little drunk me in later tonight." Beth wished her friend luck as Carla sauntered over to where the man in question was standing.

The night wore on. Beth did her best to listen and engage in conversation with Rich, but the information about her sister had ruined all her enjoyment for the evening. She was mostly wondering when it would be okay to ask to go home.

In the restroom, she washed her hands and looked at her reflection. Her cheeks were pink from the two drinks she'd had, and her eyes looked bright. However much she didn't feel it, at least she looked like she was having fun.

She was nonplussed to find Will alone at their table. He was absently playing with the condensation from his drink, and she wondered how long he'd been sitting by himself. She frowned as she approached him.

"Where's Rich?"

Will looked up in surprise as she slid in across from him. "He said he had to go get some air."

Beth realized immediately that this was a euphemism. She was picturing Rich vomiting somewhere outside. "Is he okay?" she asked in concern. She hadn't been paying attention to anything but her own thoughts, but from the leftover glasses on the table, she could see that Rich had drunk quite a lot.

Will nodded, appearing undisturbed. "He said he just wanted to walk outside for a while. I'm sure he's fine."

Beth made a noncommittal response, and then there was silence between the two of them. She looked down at her fingernails; she moved her glass around on the table distractedly; she watched the people at the bar and the waitresses hurrying around the floor, all the while wishing that she were with anyone but Will. Finally the silence between them became insufferable.

"Do you mind if we leave?" she asked. "I'm tired." Really, she just didn't want to be in the situation any longer. Carla was nowhere in sight, and she didn't know how long Rich was going to be out of commission.

"Sure," Will replied calmly, and in no time they had paid their bill and were making their way outside to get in the queue for a cab. It was only then that Beth realized that by leaving the bar, she had forced herself into an even more uncomfortable cab ride home with Will.

"Should we wait for Rich?" she asked in an effort to save herself from the dreadful ride home. But Will was shaking his head.

"No, he said to leave without him. He'll take a cab home later. He probably shouldn't be in a moving vehicle right now anyway," Will mused. It was the last thing he said for several minutes.

Beth let out an exasperated breath of air. As they stood in the night air outside the bar, waiting for a cab, she couldn't help feeling more and more annoyed. Will hadn't said anything the whole night; he'd never looked like he was having a particularly good time. It would have been so much better for everyone, and especially for her, if he had just stayed home. Then she wouldn't have had to live through these stupid, unending silences with him.

It was the same as earlier in the summer. He'd been at the festival, looking miserable. He'd come to Carla's party, but hadn't mingled. He'd been at the Bingley's barbeque too and had hid outside half the time.

"Why do you bother to come out if you never make any effort to have fun?" Beth was unable to keep from saying anything any longer, and she spoke just as a cab pulled up. Will's eyes were wide as he opened the car door for her. Beth didn't know if he was going to respond and she waited while he walked around to the other side and got in, giving the driver the address.

"I had fun," he finally said, looking confused.

Beth gave a short laugh. "You hardly spoke at all. You barely smiled the whole night. You didn't drink anything." She ticked them off on her fingers. "Yeah, it seemed like you had a really great time," she finished sarcastically. She didn't know why she was being antagonistic except that maybe she was still a little tipsy and any conversation was better than no conversation. She knew he wouldn't resist a debate with her.

He gave her a challenging look and a wry smile. "Well, in that case, I guess you were having a fantastic night, too."

Beth closed her mouth with a click of her teeth. She didn't think that anyone had noticed what she had been doing, but Will was right. She'd been just as taciturn as he had.

He smirked, looking smug for having gotten her with his point, and then he shrugged lightly. "I guess I just enjoy listening to people. It's easier to notice things when you're not the one talking."

"Notice what—all the stupid things people say and do?" She could so easily picture him disdainfully mocking everything everyone said.

"Sometimes."

Beth sighed at his infuriating response.

"Okay, what do _you_ think I should do instead?" he asked her curiously. His eyes were questioning, but his mouth still showed amusement. Beth didn't know how anyone so handsome could be so aggravating.

"I don't know—start a conversation for once. Don't you have any thoughts? Feelings?"

"Yes. Lots of them."

Beth found she had to look away from his eyes. During the conversation, he'd been looking amused at her bristling and her sarcasm. There was something else in his expression now, a seriousness and intensity that she didn't fully understand. She was suddenly aware of her pulse thumping away. She didn't know what it meant, but she was glad that they had arrived at the apartment building.

He opened the door to the building for her and then followed her inside. This silence between them as they stood, waiting, in front of the elevator was unlike any of the others. Beth watched him from the corner of her eye as he stood next to her. The wind had blown his hair around, making it more disorderly than normal, but the rest of him was perfectly put together. His belt outlined the slenderness of his waist, and his shirt was crisp over his broad shoulders.

For once, Beth didn't want him to say anything. There was something building in the air between them; it had been there ever since they'd gotten out of the car. Her heart was beginning to beat uncomfortably. The tension was growing. While they had been talking, it wasn't noticeable, but now a wave of it loomed up. She found herself breathing quickly.

With a bing, the elevator finally opened on the lobby floor. Several people got out, and Beth stepped to the side, closer to Will, to move out of their way. As she did, the back of her hand brushed the back of his. The slight touch made the hair stand up on her arms. As it was happening, she looked up and saw that his eyes were on their hands. She quickly moved her arm, clasping it behind her back.

She didn't know what was happening between the two of them. She could only guess it was because they had never been so thoroughly alone together as in the last half hour.

As the last person exited, she took a shallow breath and stepped onto the elevator; Will followed. She pushed the button for her floor and then for his, thinking that these next minutes were going to be the longest of her life.

But as soon as the doors closed, he turned to her, moving closer than what the limited space required.

"Listen, I—" He paused, like he didn't know how to continue. His voice was low, just enough to cover the foot between them. He'd put his hands on the back of her elbows. Beth looked up at him, her eyes enormous. He tried to say something else, but didn't get any farther than before. He sighed, his eyes running over her face.

Beth thought it was truly stupid that his light, clinical grip on her arms was having any sort of effect on her, but it was. She was much closer to him than she'd ever been before, and their proximity was doing strange things to her. _This_ would be the moment to turn away, but she wasn't doing it. Instead, she found herself wondering what it really would be like to kiss him.

Her heart was pounding so hard now she could feel it in her throat. She noticed his mouth, the sensuous turn of it, how he wasn't smiling any more. She'd never seen _that_ kind of look on his face before. It made her breath catch in her throat. He was still holding onto the back of her elbows, and the _really_ stupid thing was that she was still letting him.

The attraction that was always between them was acting like a physical pull. They were so close, his mouth just an inch or two from hers. They were about the right height for each other if he leaned down and if she went up on her toes…

She didn't know who moved first. Maybe both of them. It didn't seem to matter. His mouth was so warm on hers, and the touch of his hand was light on her jaw, her cheek, the back of her neck.

She'd never experienced a kiss like it, but all she could do was feel, and he was kissing her and kissing her. It didn't seem possible that anyone could be so good at it, but he was. The chemistry between them was unbelievable. Kissing him was addicting. He wound one arm around her waist, pulling them closer together. Beth ran her hands through the soft hairs at the nape of his neck.

The elevator doors suddenly opened on a floor that wasn't hers, and Will lifted his head. They both looked to the doors in shock, but no one was standing there to witness it.

"Oh," Beth managed to say, inarticulately. She was gripping his shirt hard with her hands, and he still had his arm around her lower back.

"Umm," Will murmured, his eyes moving away from hers down to her mouth again.

"Hmm," she said, and then he kissed her again, softly at first and then with more intensity. Neither of them noticed when the doors closed. His hand was tangled in her hair. Beth couldn't believe something so simple could feel so good. She broke away to catch her breath and felt completely unsteady as he kissed her jaw, her neck, and then her mouth.

The elevator doors finally opened to her floor, and they moved in a slow, clumsy shuffle toward the apartment door with Will walking backwards. They couldn't stop kissing long enough to see where they were going. Will hissed in pain against her mouth as Beth's weight rammed his lower back into the doorknob.

"Ow," he said, but he was laughing. Beth was still amazed that she had any of her personal belongings and she took the moment to burrow through her purse saying, "Keys, keys, keys…"

She felt something metal and pulled her keys out triumphantly, holding them in the air. As she did so, one of the key chains caught her eye. It was a tiny, square picture of two little girls holding hands and there was an incredibly corny saying about sisters on the back. Only Jane could have gotten away with giving her something so sappy.

Beth stared at it, still breathing quickly. The moment was totally ruined as all the thoughts she'd been having about Jane all night came back. She found she couldn't look at Will. She bit down on her lip, feeling very much like crying.

He'd noticed her sudden shift in demeanor and he looked at her in confusion as she shouldered her way past him to the door and began trying to unlock it. Beth just wanted to get away from him. Her hands were too clumsy and it took her several tries before she could even get the key in. She rushed through the motions and was finally able to get the door unlocked.

"Wait a minute," Will said, half-panicked.

But Beth only shook her head, pushing the door open further. She really didn't want to have whatever conversation they were about to have. He had to grab her arm to keep her from walking off. He turned her around to face him.

"Wait. Please…please just talk to me. I know that was too fast. I didn't...I wasn't..." He struggled to find his words. Beth didn't want to look at him, but she couldn't seem to look away either. She wondered if she looked as discomposed as he did. His eyes were bright, though he looked slightly dazed.

He looked down at his feet, taking a nervous breath before finally meeting her gaze. He looked extremely mussed, his hair going in all different directions in the back where she had run her hands through it.

"I like you, Beth. I've liked you since we first met. I didn't want to—I mean, I tried not to—I thought going away would help get rid of it, but it didn't. As soon as I saw you again it was the same as before. I just can't kill the feeling off." He was rushing through the words now. "I know it would be complicated. Us, I mean. My great-aunt wouldn't approve, obviously, but I don't care. I like you anyway. I've tried to stop, but I can't..."

At first, all she felt was shock. Her jaw had actually dropped, and a very small part of her was flattered, but as he continued on, all Beth felt was growing anger. He liked her—but he wished more than anything else that he didn't. There was a special bite in the part about his family not approving. Clearly, she wasn't good enough; it was a strange echo of the first thing she had ever heard him say about her.

Beth couldn't decide if she wanted to laugh, cry, slap him, or kiss him again. She settled for an inarticulate growl of anger, stepped inside, and slammed the door in his face.

A moment later though she reopened it; his face was full of disbelief and shock.

"I'm sorry," she said, indicating the door. "But I—you're _so_…"

She took a deep breath and tried to continue. "It's not very flattering to have someone tell you they like you against their will. And you said it all _so_ arrogantly; you like me, but you hate yourself for it because I'm not _good_ enough. And I'm supposed to just throw myself at you? _No_."

Beth ran a hand over her forehead, feeling hot and overwhelmed. It was satisfying to stand up for herself, but something about the look in his eyes made her feel uncomfortable. Will was still gaping at her, though she could see he was trying to regain control of himself.

"Did you know what Caroline was doing?" she asked suddenly, unable to stop herself. There was a wobble to her voice that she couldn't control. "Did you know that she was trying to break up Jane and Charles?"

He looked more surprised by this question than by anything else she had said, and Beth could guess the answer clearly by his expression before he even said anything.

"You did know!" Here Beth stomped her foot. She couldn't help it. "God, I can't believe it. You _knew_ and you didn't try to stop it. How do you expect me to feel anything for you after that?" It was a rhetorical question, and he didn't try to answer it.

Will had been struggling to keep up with the conversation. Her reply had knocked him so far off balance. He'd been hurt by her reproof. It wasn't every day that he confessed feelings to someone only to have them mercilessly shot down.

"You know what?" he asked, raising his arms seemingly in defeat. His eyes were flashing and he looked nearly as angry as she was. "I'm happy that I didn't try to stop Caroline. She kept saying that Jane didn't seem to like him, and it looked that way to me too. I was only trying to keep him from getting hurt."

Beth felt like her head might explode. "Jane was in love with him! It killed her when Charles left. I can't believe you; I can't believe that people like you actually exist. You just use your wealth to manipulate people—to manipulate situations so you can have whatever you want. You did it with Jane and you did it with Jamie."

Beth didn't know why she was bringing him up except that she knew it was a soft spot with Will and she wanted to goad him into reacting. They were far, far from a rational discussion.

"Jamie told me what you did to him—what you're still doing. You cheated him out of everything!" She shook her head. "Do you get off on hurting people?"

Will's emotions finally got the best of him. His voice rose to match hers "What I did to _him_? You don't know what you're talking about."

There was the condescension she'd been waiting for. She knew it was only a matter of time before the pride and arrogance returned. She narrowed her eyes.

"You don't care about anyone but yourself, do you? You treat everyone like they're scum beneath your shoes just because they don't have as much money as you do." She was breathing like she'd just run a race. "There's absolutely _nothing_ you could say that would make me want to be with you."

Will looked at her for a moment before speaking, and when he did it was carefully quiet again. "Thanks for the honesty. That was helpful." He turned on his heels and walked to the elevator. She saw him angrily shaking his head before she slammed the door to the apartment.

She sagged against the door, letting out a half strangled scream. From the kiss, to his confession, to their ensuing fight: it had been the most intense encounter of her life.


	9. A faithful narrative

_Shine_

By Luna

**Chapter 9**: A faithful narrative

* * *

Maybe it had been a purely hormonal kind of thing. That's what always seemed to happen to the people on television. Maybe it had happened to her too. They had simply gotten too close, and then it was like some kind of chemical reaction that couldn't be stopped.

But when Beth closed her eyes she could still feel the impression of his hands on her skin, and his mouth had been hot against hers, and his eyes had been so green…

She pushed herself away from the door rapidly. Clearly _thinking_ was not a good idea. She'd never been angrier with anyone in her life, and yet she couldn't stop thinking about that kiss. She felt waves of guilt and embarrassment, and however much she repressed it: longing. She pressed her hands to her eyes trying to keep the mental images back. Her body and head wanted two _very_ separate things. For the first time she was glad she would be going home in two days.

* * *

Beth awoke to the aromatic smell of cinnamon rolls. She padded out to the kitchen and found Carla calmly devouring the icing.

"We're not going to have any icing left for the rolls, you know."

"It tastes better this way anyway." She looked at Beth's disheveled appearance. "Did you have a good time last night? I saw you leave with Will."

Beth gave Carla a look out of the corner of her eye, but her friend's remark was totally innocent.

"Umm, it was—interesting," she finally managed to say. For some reason, she didn't want to share the whole debacle with Carla.

"Must've been—you left the door unlocked."

"Oh—I'm so sor—"

Carla cut her off, looking unconcerned. "Don't worry; I was happy when I didn't have to wake you up to get in this morning. The oven chimed cheerfully. "The rolls are done!"

Beth smiled happily. There was nothing like eating a cinnamon roll on a Saturday morning with her best friend. Beth was glad she had Carla. Her meaningless chatter took her mind away from thoughts of Will. She'd taken a shower hoping that while the water washed her body clean it could wash her mind as well. It didn't quite work out that way. She devised a brilliant plan in the shower, however.

She wanted to avoid Will at all costs. She couldn't imagine her embarrassment at having to see him. Her plan was to stay inside the apartment. Simple; yes, but brilliant. If she didn't leave the apartment she would never run in to Will. She would stay in and pack up today, leave tomorrow, and never have to see him again.

But nature had something else in store, per usual. The day turned out to be one of the nicest of Beth's trip. The lovely breeze and sunshine beckoned her outside. Packing on a day like that seemed so horribly boring and dull. There was something itchy that had gotten into her blood and she knew she wouldn't be able to work at all until she had satisfied the urge to go out and play in the sunshine.

She finally gave in, throwing down all the things she had been trying to pack. Slipping on a pair of sandals, she headed outside.

After all, there wasn't much likelihood of her running into Will on the two minute walk outside, she mused as she stepped out in to the hallway, looking cautiously around.

The sun was warm on her back as she walked to a nearby park. The last traces of rain were gone from the ground, and the sky was blue again, the beautiful azure color she remembered so well. The birds were singing their quiet little melodies.

She sighed as she sat down on the park bench, fallen leaves dancing about her feet. She smiled as a baby in a stroller rolled by, mother and father pushing it. An elderly couple, hand in hand walked slowly by after them. She saw a few more couples lying or sitting on blankets.

She frowned slightly. The couples made her feel inadequate: like she had no place in the world because she had no one to share her bench with. She frowned again.

She only wanted someone who would be kind to her, understand her, treat her well, and love her. Someone to share things with and laugh with over the stupid things she did. It seemed impossible.

Instead, she had men that never called when they said they would and arrogant jerks that were much too good at kissing for their own good.

The man she wanted did not exist. She left the park, disheartened.

She went quickly up the stairs to the apartment, almost at a run. She didn't think she could stand being in the elevator ever again after the events of last night, and again she had the paranoid feeling that she was going to run into Will. She turned a sharp corner to her floor and promptly ran into a very solid substance. One she had become quite familiar with.

"Ooff. I'm so sor—." The apology died on her lips when she saw who it was. "Oh," she said flatly. She slid past him, almost breaking into a run as she feebly tried to escape the upcoming situation.

"Wait!" Will called after her, quickly catching up. "Will you please stop? I just want to talk, or explain." He caught her arm, gently but firmly, and turned her around to face him. She blushed as he cornered her; the situation seemed too familiar. They were right outside Carla's door. "Would you please listen? You've got things all wrong. There's something that you don't know about. There are a lot of things you've got wrong. I didn't know about Jane--"

She jerked out of his hold at that. "I don't want to hear what you have to say. It can't make any difference. I don't want to talk to you, and I don't want to see you. Just leave me alone!" She opened the door and quickly went inside before he could say anything else. She leaned against the door frame and closed her eyes, wondering where the sudden urge to cry had come from.

"Did you have a good time at the park?" Carla asked in feigned innocence, smiling impishly.

"What does it look like to you?" Beth asked a little savagely.

"I don't know how it looks, but it _sounded_ like you had a good time. Can I ask…?"

Beth sank down on the couch. "When did my life get so complicated? This is awful." She sighed and placed her hand over her eyes.

"Honey, I'm sorry, but everybody's life is messed up. That's how it goes. If somebody tells you that it's not true then they're lying. Big time. How about I make you a milkshake? You're leaving tomorrow and I want you to have a good last day here. Strawberry or Vanilla?"

Beth sighed, head in her hands. "Strawberry."

* * *

Beth woke up the next morning with a mixture of feelings. She was sad to leave, that was for certain. She had missed Carla. She loved spending time with her and exploring a city she had never been to before, but this new development had spoiled everything.

It was too hard for her, too stressful. She'd made a huge mess, and she'd never been very good at cleaning up those types of things. She preferred to run; the faster she got away, the harder it would be for the past to catch up. It had always worked out for her so far. She could only hope it would _this_ time as well.

"I just had to ask for excitement; for things to start happening to me," she grumbled to herself as she grabbed for the clothing she'd lain out to wear. "Careful what you wish for seems rather appropriate in my case, doesn't it. Funny, I was never one to believe in Karma. I must have done something pretty bad in a past life."

She hopped into the shower and tried to let all her troubling thoughts roll off of her like the droplets of water. She felt calmer, she _really_ did, until she walked into the living room and recognized the back of a wavy brown head. She would have turned and ran if she could, but her body seemed frozen in place. He'd been sitting, quietly talking with Carla, but got up to face her when he heard her come in. He spoke before she could say anything.

"Look," Will said in a low voice. "You don't have to say anything. I know you hate me and never want to see or hear from me again. I get the picture." There was no self-pity in his voice. "But would you please read this? I'll leave you alone after this, I promise."

She noticed the letter for the first time as he pressed it into her palm. He turned from her to address Carla. "Thank you, Carla, for the coffee. It was nice talking to you. I hope I'll see you again, sometime soon." He smiled agreeably with her.

"Sure thing, Will. Don't worry about it. You know you're always welcome here. Give me a call the next time you're in town. I'm sure your Aunt would _love_ to hear from you too," she said with a wink. "I'll see you to the door."

Beth heard the door close quietly and waited for Carla to come back.

"Traitor."

"You can't expect me to treat him like trash just because you got a little fresh with him, _Miss_ Elizabeth." She laughed at the expression on Beth's face. "You should see your face. You're wondering how I know. First of all, you two are easier to read than an open book. Really, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that there's chemistry between you two."

Beth tried to interrupt, but Carla cut her off. "I didn't say good or bad, I just said chemistry. It's like being with two live wires whenever you two are together. I filled in the blanks myself. I didn't hear it from him, if that's what you were thinking. He's got more character than you think. You should read the letter. He took the time to write it, and you at least owe him the courtesy of reading it."

Beth laughed and tossed the letter aside. "I don't owe him anything."

"Wait." Beth was surprised at the ring of authority in Carla's voice. "I'm not going to let you run away from this like you do everything else." She picked up the letter and pressed it firmly into Beth's hand. "I know it's hard for you to face it, but you need to. What harm could it possibly do?"

Beth sighed. "Fine! I'll take it. I'm not saying I'll read it, but I won't throw it away." She turned on her heels and walked back to the room. She suddenly wasn't hungry any more.

Her goodbye to Carla was only minutely chilly. She was still a little miffed at her, but not enough to ruin the farewells. With the letter shoved safely in her back pocket, Beth got into the taxi and watched the light rain fall on the windows.

* * *

After miles of baggage checks and scans, and guards and security, she wanted to scream, "I don't have a gun! Just let me on the plane already!" Sensing that this would almost definitely get her thrown out of the airport she decided the keep that delightful thought to herself.

Once on the plane, she found herself seated next to tiny elderly woman from Texas, named Jennifer Austen, whose southern twang delighted her every time Jenni spoke. She was distracted by the thought of the letter in her pocket though, and she couldn't keep still. It was like the Scarlet Letter, only it was branded to her butt.

After much deliberation and squirming, she took the letter out of her pocket and put it on the tray table. She fiddled absently with the corner. Did she really want to know what was in that letter? She didn't _have_ to read it. She could burn it and never have to worry about it again. But then again, she'd always been a curious person. She reached for it and put it down at least a dozen times.

Jenni finally laid a hand on her wrist. "Honey, open it already. It can't be half as bad as you think it is. All this anticipation is makin' me nervous. Open the damn thing. Is it from your boyfriend or something?" she finished, quizzically.

Beth could have laughed, but all that got out was a wobbly smile. "Not quite."

"Then what are you waitin' for?"

The words seemed so wise. What _was_ she waiting for? It was just some paper with some ink on it. She didn't hold a bomb in her hands. It wasn't the end of the world. She ripped into the paper almost happily, surprised by the number of sheets. She had expected a statement; not a book.

Jenni snorted. "Atta girl."

The first thing she noticed was the style of Will's writing. It was neat, clean, and somehow distinctly masculine. Each letter was perfectly formed, each word perfectly spaced, so unlike her own chicken scrawl. She took a deep breath, and forced herself to start reading.

_Beth,_

_I'm sorry that I'm doing this in a letter, but I know that you have no desire to speak to me ever again. You made that clear, but there are things that need to be cleared up, two very important things that need to be fixed. I'm sorry about the length, but with the plane ride I thought you would have enough time to read it. _

_Don't worry; there's no danger of running across any more of my feelings for you. I think that we'd both like to put it behind us, and I wouldn't have even written this letter except that I felt compelled to straighten certain things up, one concerning your sister and the other concerning mine -- sister that is, and your friend Wickham. I'm sorry if any of it upsets you, but it has to be said…_

Jennifer watched the young woman next to her with something like amusement. She was such a pretty young thing, sweet, and polite. She watched, enthralled, as Beth fiddled with **The Letter** in indecision. It seemed to mean so much to her, and yet she couldn't open it. Jenni shook her head, amused.

She felt compelled to help the girl with her decision and watched with interest as she finally opened it and seemingly lost consciousness of the world surrounding her. A swarm of emotions passed quickly across her face. Interest, confusion, and anger most prevalently, then bewilderment, and finally back to interest and all through the range of emotions again.

Now and again, Beth would stare at the same passage of words for minutes at a time, rereading them over and over again. Jenni didn't believe for one second that this letter was not written by a lad. She could tell a man's handwriting when she saw it. She still remembered what it was like to be young and all the trouble boys and raging hormones had caused. She smiled indulgently in nostalgia, while Beth finished her letter in a huff, only to pick it back up and read it all over again.

She could not believe him! What audacity! What nonsense. What complete and utter nonsense! She couldn't take her eyes off of a certain passage.

_I knew that Charles was in love with Jane, but I wasn't sure she felt the same. She acted indifferent, so I thought she was. I only wanted to protect him from pain. I'm sorry if I caused your sister some as a result._

Beth was so angry. He claimed that Jane was indifferent. Indifferent? She'd never seen her so in love.

Yet it was the next part of the letter that she was astonished by. Will had laid out his entire familial history regarding Jamie: a history apparently no one else was privy to except the immediate family.

James Wickham had been a very close friend of Greg Darcy, and when he had a massive stroke that ended his life, Greg felt compelled to take James's widow and son in. Their large estate had more than enough space. The guest house alone was more than adequate.

Young Jamie became like a second son to Greg. One who was so much more carefree and charismatic than the serious and enigmatic Will. One could argue that Jamie was the favorite child, but it wasn't true. Greg loved his son more than anything, but he didn't often let him know it. They didn't understand each other.

Their personalities were too different. He put tremendous pressure on Will to succeed. If it bred more than a little resentment from Will to Jamie, it was understandable. Later, Will discovered that his father and Jamie's mother had been sleeping together, and it only added to the resentment Will felt toward Jamie. To be sure, Greg Darcy had loved his wife, but she had died, and people take comfort in strange ways. After Will found out, he hardly spoke to his father.

At 17, Will was orphaned by his father's death. Will's father had made some promises to Jamie about college. He had assured Jamie not to worry about paying for tuition; the Darcys were going to take care of him. All these promises were made_ verbally_, of course. Nothing was written down in ink. When the will came to be read and he was left with nothing, Jamie was obviously angry. He contested the will.

Now, a 17-year-old boy should not have to deal with his father's death, the raising of his 15 year old sister, _and_ legal problems regarding the father's death.

So he didn't.

Will gave in and said he would pay for Jamie's school granted that he stayed out of trouble. Jamie was very grateful, of course, and proceeded to get into as much trouble as possible and to sully the good Darcy name. Will was forced to cut Jamie off and had him thrown out of the prep school, leaving Jamie feeling high and dry and out for revenge.

Jamie had been notorious around the school as the person to go to for drugs. He always had cocaine to sell to anyone willing to pay the right amount for it. At the prep school, it hadn't been hard to find customers. Will, like everyone else on campus, had known about Jamie's activities and before his father's death he let Jamie get away with it. Afterward, it was just the easiest way to get him thrown out.

What Will hadn't counted on was his younger sister, Anna. She was so young, only 15, and she had no idea how to cope with her father's death. When Jamie offered her something to make her feel better, she took it. He was like her brother, after all. And she continued to take it with him, using cocaine as her coping mechanism, as a crutch.

_Wickham didn't seem to care that he was destroying her life as long as she continued to pay cash. Rich and I finally noticed something was seriously wrong with her. Thankfully we were able to get her into rehab before she could OD or do any more damage to her life or her relationships. _

_Wickham only wanted revenge on me, but he used Anna to do it. I can't tell you how much I hate him for what he did to her. I hope you can understand why I acted the way I did with him and said the things I said. Maybe I should have told you all of this earlier, but it's not something I usually bring up. Rich can confirm all of it, if you need proof._

_Thank you for reading this. Sorry again for the length._

_Will_

Beth read this second half of the letter closer and more clearly than the first. She could not believe it. She folded the letter up quickly, no longer wanting to look at it. She wanted to sleep, but her thoughts were too restless to allow it. She had a sudden insight, and reached down for her carry-on, coming up with a small bottle of pills. Carla had insisted on buying her some Dramamine for the way home, just in case. Beth looked at the label.

"May cause sudden drowsiness. Perfect!" She popped two and was quickly out, all thoughts of the letter forgotten.

She had weird garbled dreams. Catherine was talking with Beth's mother, detailing the best way to pack a suitcase, and Beth sat at the table with them in Carla's apartment. While Catherine looked on with great displeasure, Will walked in from the kitchen, wheeled Beth's chair around, and leaned down slowly to kiss her. Beth had a moment to reach up and wrap her fingers in his hair before their lips met. It didn't seem odd that she was doing this in front of her mother or Catherine Bourgh. It felt perfect. She felt safe and loved.

As Will leaned back, she noticed with a start that he had sparkling brown eyes and his hair was straight and blond. She pulled away quickly; she'd been kissing Wickham! Wickham laughed, looking down at her, and said, "Look what you've done." She could hear the laughter in his voice. Will, shaking his head angrily back in the kitchen, gave her one last disappointed look before walking out the door. Wait! She wanted to call out. Come Back! She was moving too slowly; she couldn't get away from Wickham fast enough. But it was too late anyway; Will was gone.

The food cart bumped her elbow and jolted her awake with a start and a gasp, and the dream quickly receded as she focused on the pain from her elbow. She shook her head slightly; what had _that_ all been about? She requested some water; her mouth was strangely dry. She rubbed her eyes and wondered how long exactly she had been sleeping. Jenni smiled, said a few hours, and went back to her book. The letter on the tray seemed to stare back at her.

She looked closely at the passages regarding Jamie. The two versions of the story matched, notwithstanding the part about Anna, which if true, Jamie had conveniently forgot to mention.

They were two so different men that it seemed absurd for her to try to choose between them. Although she had been at first inclined to believe Jamie, she could find no evidence to support his side. How well could she really know him? After all, she had only talked to him for one night. And Carla had even mentioned the idea that he was a drug dealer. Beth hadn't wanted it to be true because he'd flattered her, but what if it was?

Everything together seemed fishy. It seemed preposterous that she should believe Will's side of the story, but he had at least offered proof, saying that she could ask Rich if she doubted any part of it. That was more than Jamie could say. And even if she would never _actually_ ask Rich, Will wouldn't have written it if it weren't true.

She had to believe Will. It was a strange notion: one she couldn't quite get her head wrapped around. Because if she was right, if his version was true, then she had said and done some pretty horrible things to him. Things he didn't deserve at all.

They had been thrown together often, and anyone who actually knew him only had wonderful things to say about him. She had judged him, hated him even, and all on the basis of what some horrible man had lied to her about. She brought a hand to cover her mouth. She was so shocked and appalled at herself she could barely think straight.

She had acted horribly. She couldn't look back at the way she had treated him without shame. He had done nothing, absolutely nothing to deserve her treatment of him. She'd been upset with him in the beginning for his treatment of her, and she had made him pay for it ever since, even after he had apologized. She was despicable.

Jamie had fawned over her with attention and compliments in the beginning so she chose him blindly over Will. Talk about pride and arrogance…Beth couldn't believe how stupid she had been.

Stupid was really the only word for it. She could have cried right there on the plane. She reopened the letter instead and looked at the first part again. What had seemed like such a cop-out before now just seemed to be the supposed that Jane _could_ seem indifferent to a stranger. Perhaps it was only because Beth knew her sister so well that she could tell how much Jane had felt for Charles.

She was blown away by the new turn of events. Blown away by the context of one not-so-little letter. She was amazed at what it had done to her view of herself and her life. She'd had a high opinion of herself and her ability to judge others, but she had been wrong. So wrong it was a wonder she didn't have whiplash from the complete turn around she'd done.

"I'll never ask for excitement again," she said, unaware it was aloud.

"Right on, sugar." Jenni said sleepily.

Whenever she thought back to her encounter with Will, she blushed hotly. She'd never done anything like _that_; she'd never gone from nothing to making-out in two seconds flat. She'd never _felt_ anything like that before. She had this confused impression.

She was ashamed of herself for the way she had treated Will and for what she had said to him. She was, however, a little indignant at the way he had expressed his feelings toward her. Still, she had a newfound respect for him and didn't know quite what to do with it. She had his letter almost memorized by the end of the plane ride, and yet she still didn't know how she felt. She was excited by the fact that he had feelings for her, but she wasn't sure that she ever wanted to see him again.

She realized, seemingly for the first time, that she was on a plane going home and that there was nothing she could do to fix the situation. She would probably never see Will again, and she sighed dejectedly. That thought, for the first time, had not brought her happiness and a sense of relief, but the opposite. She looked at the woman next to her, and felt a sense of gratitude.

"I want to thank you," she said, out of the blue.

Jenni looked a little confused. "For what, dear?"

"Without your encouragement I would probably still be sitting here debating whether or not to open this letter, and I would have decided, without a doubt, to throw it away and not read it. So thank you for helping me."

"You're so sweet. I was happy to help, although if you ask me, it wasn't very much to do. I remember what it was like to be young. Boys will be boys. You've just got to make allowances for them." She smiled and patted Beth's leg. "It'll turn out all right in the end. You'll see," she finished, reassuringly.

Beth smiled, but she had her misgivings.


	10. To be mistress of Pemberley

_Shine_

By Luna

Chapter 10: To be mistress of Pemberley

* * *

Beth dropped her suitcase loudly on the floor in the foyer. She tried to rub away the ache her suitcase had cut into her shoulder while she waited for someone to come out to greet her, but the house was silent except for the quiet ticking from the clock in the living room. She let out a breath, feeling disappointed somehow. How could everything in her home still be exactly the same when she felt so changed? She found it hard to believe that only a week had passed.

She jumped when her father's voice rang out from the study.

"Is that you, Beth?"

"No, it's a robber. Where do you keep the jewelry and the fine wines?" She walked over to her father's study and found Thomas leaning back on his chair reading a very battered copy of a book. She leaned in to give him a warm hug.

"Beth, I've missed you. The house isn't the same without you," Thomas said.

Beth smiled and kissed the top of this head. "Now that's what a girl likes to hear. Where are mom and Lydia?"

"They're out shopping. It seems they don't have enough clothing." He smiled. Beth laughed and then yawned, but tried to hide it.

Thomas noticed right away. "Beth, you're tired. You should be in bed, not standing around talking to an old man like me."

"You're not _that_ old, dad," she said. "But I think you're right about bed."

"Goodnight. I expect to hear all about you trip tomorrow!" he called as she walked out the door.

She paused for a moment at the door and smirked. "Yeah right," she muttered, under her breath. This was one trip she would _not _be telling her father about.

Beth went up to her room, and sat in her chair facing her phone, debating whether or not to pick it up. Jane wasn't coming home from New York for another two days, and she wanted to tell Jane about everything that had happened during her stay at Carla's.

She just didn't know if she was _ready_ to talk about it yet, and she didn't have a reasonable answer yet for her actions. But she couldn't resist talking to her sister. She was sure Jane's calming voice would make her feel better about what happened. Jane was usually able to help Beth feel like a rational human being again.

Beth started in as soon as they had finished saying hello. "I have some news to tell you."

"Is it good or bad?" Jane asked, her interest piqued.

Beth had been sitting, but she stood and began to pace across the room. She was too agitated to stay still. "I really don't know."

"Okay, now you have to tell me. What's this news?"

"While I was at Carla's—"

"I thought it was going to have something to do with your trip!" Jane interrupted happily. "Did you have a good time?"

"For the most part." Beth spoke haltingly. She didn't know which words to use or how to say what she had to say.

"What does _that _mean? You're being so cryptic," Jane scolded.

Beth sighed, and made herself sit down again, this time on her bed. "If you'd give me a second, I would tell you what happened," Beth scolded, and Jane laughed on the other end of the phone. Not letting herself think, Beth launched into her story. "Carla lives a floor below Catherine Bourgh, who's Will Darcy's great aunt, and he was there." Beth finished in one breath. She swallowed. "He was visiting his aunt."

"_And…?"_ Jane asked excitedly. "Knowing you, that can't be the end of the story."

Beth buried her face briefly in her pillow and tried to continue with the story. She found she didn't know what to say.

"I—We… I mean…" She mumbled something unintelligible. "…with Will." She put a hand over her eyes, feeling flustered.

"You didn't!" Jane gasped and began laughing wildly. When Beth didn't respond, she continued. "Oh, you did! Was he good? I feel like he'd be good. He has nice hands."

Beth's eyes shot open. She couldn't help laughing at her sister's reaction. "We didn't have sex, Jane."

"So what _did_ happen between the two of you then? As your big sister, I demand details."

Beth groaned. "_God,_ I don't know. One minute we were bickering in the cab, and then we were in the elevator and we were kissing, and I mean _kissing_, and then I—I flipped out I guess, and we got into a huge fight. It sounds _so_ cheesy and melodramatic, like on television, but that's what happened," she finished.

"Right before we got in the fight he said he had feelings for me: obviously, right? But somehow I was still surprised. It's _Will_. He was always quiet, and I thought he was so arrogant and stuck up. When he told me about his feelings I was so—I said some really horrible things to him. I'm so ashamed of what I said, now. I wish I could go back."

Jane had sobered. "What's done is done. You can't do anything about it now. I feel bad that you hurt him. He's nice when you get to know him. Honestly, I'm not that surprised. You two have chemistry—"

"Why does _everyone_ say that?" Beth interrupted.

"Because it's true. You don't still think you hate him, do you?"

Beth almost slapped herself on the forehead. "I forgot to tell you, and this is the whole reason I called. I can't believe I forgot. When we were fighting I said something about how he was horrible for mistreating Jamie."

"I forgot about that."

"The thing is that he _wasn't_. Jamie lied about everything when I met him. I felt like such a fool when I found out." She proceeded to tell Jane about the letter, but left out the parts concerning Charles, and only gave a vague description of what happened to Will's sister. She didn't want to hurt Will by telling the whole world about Anna's experience.

Jane was as astonished as Beth had been when she learned the truth. "Maybe it isn't true. Are you completely sure, Beth?"

"Yes. I've been so wrong about everything. This is the only thing I'm sure of right now." Beth felt a small wave of guilt for everything she had done and said to Will.

Jane must have been able to sense what Beth felt through the phone. "You must feel really terrible after throwing all those accusations at him and finding out they weren't true."

"You have _no_ idea. I wish you had been there. Maybe I wouldn't have been so stupid about everything." She paused before going on. "Do you think I should tell everyone about Jamie?"

Jane paused to think.

"Will didn't give me permission to tell everyone about his sister, and Carla said something about how she thought Jamie had stopped dealing drugs. I don't really think I should tell people."

"I agree. You would only hurt Will by filling everyone in on his past. I don't think he deserves that."

Beth sighed. "I'm glad I got all of that off my chest. I've been dying to tell someone about it."

In actuality, she still had something weighing on her. She was debating whether or not to tell Jane about the _first_ part of the letter. She decided not to divulge. It would only make her sister unhappier, and she didn't want to be the cause of that. She had enough guilt as it was. She smiled into the phone. "Enough about _me_ already, how are _you_ doing? How's New York?"

* * *

The thought of going to college seemed so strange to Beth. She had spent her whole life waiting for this year: the year that she would finally move on to college. Now that it was actually looming in front of her she was scared.

She was afraid she wasn't prepared, that she would get to Pemberley and find that she wasn't ready, that she wasn't smart enough, and that she was going to fail. She was afraid she would get a horrible roommate, or that she wouldn't make any friends and would go through her entire college career as a social pariah. Although she knew that most of her fears were unfounded she couldn't help feeling them.

Beth was _almost_ successful at keeping a certain boy off her mind. Sometimes when she really wasn't thinking or focusing on anything, her mind would wander back to that night and she'd have to cover her face to hide her blushing cheeks.

She was unsure as to what she should do. The letter had changed her mind so much. Should she contact Will somehow to tell him that she no longer hated him? The problem was that she didn't know if she ever _wanted_ to talk to him again. When she thought of him, she mostly wanted to hide in a hole.

Their past was so full of confusion and misunderstandings. Sometimes, though, a feeling over came her that was something akin to regret for what could have been.

During that last week before she left for school she was very busy. Along with the tremendous amount of packing, she had to prepare herself to leave the only home she'd ever known. She also had to prepare to leave her family.

Jane's calm steady support was what really got Beth through. She _was_ a nervous wreck, but Jane at least kept her from being a hysterical, hyperventilating, nervous wreck.

There was also, buried very deeply within her of course, the feeling of anticipation that she might see Will. She knew that he would be attending the same school. She also knew that it was a very large school, and that their chances of meeting were slim as he was an upperclassman and because their majors were totally different, his; business management and economics, and hers; English, but it still worried her.

As it turned out, when the first day of school arrived she was _not_ ready for what it had in store, not even close, but fate always likes to throw those curve balls.

* * *

Beth sat on her bed and looked around the room in something akin to wonder. Her walls, closets, and shelves seemed so very bare. Their appearance had altered dramatically in the last week that she had been home. Everything she owned, it seemed, was packed away in boxes or plastic tubs, waiting to be taken to the car. She shivered as she thought about what she would be doing in 24 hours.

"Tomorrow's the big day," she said aloud, in amazement. It didn't seem to be real. Everything she had been longing for would finally be happening in less than a day.

It was late, and she knew she should have been in bed, but somehow the thought of sleep was totally unappealing to her. She knew once she lay down she would only toss and turn before falling into a fitful sleep hours later. She was too full of nervous energy to sit still_. Sleep_ was the furthest thing from her mind. She figured she could use the long car ride to make up for any lost sleep. She couldn't ever remember being so excited for something in her life. It seemed that the 12 years of hard work she had put into school were _finally _paying off.

The next morning she woke with a jolt, and sat straight up in bed. She was confused as to _where_ exactly she was. She hadn't remembered falling asleep. Once she realized she was in her own bed, she flopped back down on her pillows with a sigh. For once, she was happier to be awake than asleep.

She had been caught up in the middle of a horrible dream: one in which her alarm clock didn't go off and she didn't get to the university on time, and subsequently wasn't allowed inside the premises. Throughout the whole dream she had heard Caroline Bingley's awful laughter cackling in the background, like a horrible disembodied monster. She shook her head and tried to rid herself of the images.

She squinted at the bright sunlight streaming through the window and tried to rub the sleep out of her eyes. She smiled before getting out of bed to take a shower. It had finally come. Her first day had arrived.

"Are you sure you have everything?" Jane asked as she released Beth from a hug.

"No, I'm sure I'm forgetting something. You'll have to send it to me when I remember what it is, or better yet, you'll have to bring it to me personally."

"Who do you think I am, your personal servant?"

"No, you're my sister, and I love you very much, and I'm going to miss you horribly."

"I love you too. Now get out of here before I start crying."

Beth smiled and turned to hug Lydia before picking up her backpack and following her father out the door. She wiped a few tears away, feeling surprised. She hadn't expected to cry.

The only thing she felt as she left, however, was sadness. What would it be like living in a strange city full of people she didn't know? How would she get along without the guidance of her family? She couldn't find answers to those questions as she helped her father load the last of the luggage into the car. However unceremoniously, they were off.

The first thing she had noticed about Massachusetts was how many trees there were. When she had visited the campus earlier in the year they had still been covered in snow. It had been a beautiful sight, so beautiful, in fact, that it had been one of the major draws to the campus.

Now, in the height of summer, the trees were _so_ green. It was quite a change from what she had seen in the dead of winter. She wondered if all the seasons were so vividly represented. She couldn't wait to see the trees in the fall; she knew they would be beautiful. She couldn't only imagine the sea of colors they would turn.

As they parked and began to unload the car, Beth looked around at the majestic brick buildings surrounding her. Her fingers were tingling with excitement. She could not, for the life of her, stand still. She wondered if anyone would think she was insane if she burst into spontaneous whoops of joy.

She had no feelings of homesickness or sadness; perhaps they would come later. Those feelings had disappeared as soon as they had reached the campus. The only thing she felt at that moment was elation and a curious sense of freedom: as though she could finally breathe. She frowned as she looked at the boxes. Many of them, she remembered, were quite heavy.

"This is going to take some serious work," she said glumly, indicating to the boxes. Her father laughed, apparently undaunted.

"We know you're in Grays Hall. That's what your admission packet said," her father piped cheerfully. "We're parked pretty close to the building. It shouldn't be too hard."

"You reminded me; I have to go to Admissions and pick up my key. They wouldn't give them to us until a particular date. Security reasons, I think. I decided I would wait and pick it up when we got here. You can start dragging those boxes to the dorm, dad. I'll help you when I get back."

"I see how it is," her father said, rolling his eyes, but he dutifully began to move the boxes.

Beth smiled as she walked toward the admissions office, or at least to where she _thought _the admissions office was. The campus was huge! She felt like a little insect trying to find its way around the ant farm. She let out a sigh of relief when she found the building. The signs had been very helpful. She didn't even have to stop to ask someone for directions.

She pushed open the door and welcomed the blast of cold air that hit her. She walked over to the receptionist sitting behind a large desk.

"Hi, I'm Elizabeth Bennet. May I pick up my room key here?" she asked uncertainly.

The receptionist looked up and smiled. "Of course. Just one moment. Bennet you said? Ah yes, here it is." She handed Beth the key before continuing. "Just so you know, there's a tour of campus for all freshmen in..." she turned her head to look at the clock on the wall behind her. "About an hour. It's not mandatory, but a lot of students say it's very helpful."

"That sounds wonderful," Beth said with a relieved sigh. "Where's it being held?"

"Donwell Hall. It's the large dorm across from Grays. You can't miss it. It's one of the largest on the campus. Have a nice day." She smiled nicely.

When she returned to the car, she was amazed to find her father casually leaning on the side of it, lazily watching his surroundings as he waited for her to return. There were no boxes in sight.

"There's no possible way that I was gone long enough for you to cart all those boxes away. How in the world did you manage to finish so quickly?" Beth asked in amazement.

Her father grinned. "I threw most of them in the dumpster over there."

"I had too much stuff anyway," Beth said, not missing a beat.

They both laughed at their silliness, and then Beth inquired as to the real reason all her boxes were gone.

"There was a group of boys in need of service hours, or so they said, and they asked if they could help, and naturally, I said yes. They piled everything up onto carts, and rolled it all away. It's sitting outside your room waiting to be unpacked."

"Are you serious? That's really convenient," she finished, laughing.

"That's what I thought. Apparently the people at Pemberley know what they're doing. Go figure." He laughed at himself, and then sighed. "I guess that's it then. I told your mother I would try to make it back tonight."

"You're leaving?" Beth was a little disappointed. She thought he was going to stay for longer, maybe take her out for dinner. She walked forward to give him a hug. She felt so sad hugging him, as though they were saying goodbye for forever, not just the semester. "I love you, dad."

"Beth, I love you too." He stepped back and lightly kissed the top of her head. "Make sure to stay out of trouble. Not too much drinking. Or too many boys. I don't think I can handle having more than one daughter like Lydia..."

Beth laughed. "Don't worry. I'll be on my best behavior." '_Most of the time_,' she added to herself. Thomas checked to make sure that the car was empty and that Beth had all of her things before climbing into the front seat. Beth waved as he drove away and let out a big sigh once he was gone. She was now officially on her own.

Looking at her watch, she realized she didn't have time to start unpacking, so she decided to walk to Donwell Hall. As she walked up to it, she tried not to be awed by the sheer size of the building. It was easily the biggest and most beautiful building she had seen on campus so far.

The brick building loomed several stories above her head as an impressive piece of architecture; she could find no other way to describe it. Opening the doors, she had to blink several times before her eyes could register anything. Once they adjusted to the dimmer interior, she found it was just as opulent and elegant as the exterior. She noticed the tell-tale signs that it was a dorm and was amazed. It looked nothing like her mental picture of a dormitory. As she walked in, a perky female voice greeted her.

"Hi! I'm Lucy Reynolds. You must be here for the tour!"

"Yes." Beth looked around, amazed. There were dozens and dozens of people in the room. She looked at her watch. Maybe the receptionist had told her the wrong time. She hoped she wasn't late. "Has the tour started yet?"

Lucy smiled. "This tour hasn't started yet. There was an earlier round of tours that ended about 10 minutes ago. The people still sticking around are mostly freshmen and upperclassmen that hold leadership positions in clubs. I don't think the freshmen know where else to go, and the upperclassmen have to be here; they're leading the tours."

"Oh," Beth said, feeling out of place.

"Could I have your name?" Lucy asked kindly.

"Oh," she said again, feeling sluggish. "I'm sorry. My name is Elizabeth Bennet."

"Hmm," Lucy said, as she looked down at her clipboard. "We had a lot of English majors earlier in the day; this is the last round of tours, and the other freshmen here are pre-med and law. It's nothing to worry about," she said, seeing the look on Beth's face. "You'll just get a one on one tour instead. I think you'll like that better anyway. Let's see...which of the guides can I put you with? I would put you with Will, but I don't know if he's back yet. He should be here. Hey, Joan," Lucy called to another guide holding a clipboard. "Is Will Darcy giving tours today?"

Beth looked sharply at Lucy and then froze. She felt like the floor had abruptly been ripped out from under her feet. Until that moment she had assumed that the 'Will' they were speaking of was anyone _but_ the Will she knew.

She knew her mouth was hanging open, and her eyebrows were raised much higher than normal, but she couldn't bring them down. The pounding of her heart was so loud that the roaring in her ears seemed block out all other sounds. She was having a hard time getting enough _air_; there was no _way_ she could concentrate on a silly thing like her facial expression.

Joan thought a minute before replying. "No, I'm pretty sure he's coming in tomorrow. He's on some business trip or something. You know how he is."

Beth exhaled violently. She thought she might have just had a stroke or an aneurysm...or both. She couldn't express her relief.

"That's a pity," Lucy said, smiling. "You would've liked him. I've had this thing for him since freshman year." She leaned in as if sharing a secret. "He's so nice. Of course, he's so far out of my league it's not even funny." She shrugged unconcernedly. "Some people think he's arrogant...or something," she shook her head, apparently amazed at that thought. "But they just don't know him. He just gets shy sometimes. I would _kill_ to go on a date with him," Lucy continued, wistfully.

"But he's always so busy. He does all these clubs, and sports, and his fraternity. Plus he's training to take over his family's company. He's got zero time. There's also been this rumor that he's_ engaged _to somebody in San Francisco, but I don't believe it. He's never said anything about it."

"Interesting." Beth tried to hide her surprise at how very obvious Lucy's feelings for Will were.

"Yes, well," Lucy coughed. "I'm such a blabbermouth sometimes. Since he's not here, I'll have to give you the tour."

Beth smiled gratefully. "Thank you. That would be…great. . ." Beth was forced to trail off.

She was tempted to look over her shoulder. The door had opened halfway through her sentence, and she had totally lost Lucy's attention. Lucy's appearance had changed, too. Her blue eyes got rounder, and she fluffed her hair almost absently. Beth could tell she was trying to make her short blond hair appear naturally disheveled.

Beth had her back to the door and couldn't see who had just entered, but she wondered who had caused the change in Lucy's appearance.

"Excuse me, for a moment..." Lucy trailed off, and smiling brightly, walked toward the doors.

"Okay?" Beth said. She was both confused and amused by Lucy's behavior. Beth turned toward the doors and promptly felt as though someone had punched her in the stomach. That curious roaring was back in her ears, too. She assumed it was from all the blood rushing from her head. For it _was_ Will standing there, just inside the door, with Lucy chatting away at his side.

He hadn't seen her yet. She knew that for sure. For one thing, he was still standing calmly, and for another, she was close enough to hear what they were saying. Lucy hadn't even brought up the tours. She was still trying to figure out why he was there a day early.

'_Join the club,'_ Beth thought, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. Maybe, just maybe, she would get out of the present situation _without_ having to talk to him. She strained to hear what they were talking about. The decibel of the room's chatter had definitely risen.

"—ou doing here?" Lucy was asking. She was surprised, but not unhappy. "Joan told me that you wouldn't be getting back until tomorrow, but you're here now."

"So it would seem," he replied.

Beth was amazed. Not by the reply, that was the Will she remembered, but at the _way_ he said it and the bright smile on his face. She couldn't ever remember him joking around, and especially not in a room full of strangers. She could count on one hand the number of times he had flashed his full smile.

Small talk was something Will Darcy didn't stoop to do. His hair was longer, she absently noticed. Something else was different, more important than the length of his hair, but she couldn't place her finger on what exactly it was. She'd never seen him like this. Whatever it was, she wanted it to stop.

On seeing the look of confusion on Lucy's face, Will elaborated.

"The seminar I was attending ended a day early and I didn't really want to spend the whole day sitting around. The real reason I'm here is because I had absolutely _nothing_ better to do."

"Ah, the world makes sense again," Lucy said, laughing.

'_No, it doesn't,_' Beth thought. She was having a hard time adjusting to the new situation. She hated surprises!

"I'm glad you're here," Lucy was continuing. "Otherwise, I would have had to lead one of the tours myself."

"Oh, no!" he said, laughing. "How awful."

She slapped his arm playfully. "Here's the list," she said, handing him the clipboard. "Your group is highlighted in green. I shouldn't say, group: there's only one person. The English department is severely underrepresented. Everyone else is pre-law or med, and I know how you _love_ those tours." She rolled her eyes, but Will didn't notice.

He hadn't heard anything Lucy said after she'd handed him the clipboard and his eyes were drawn to the name highlighted in green phosphorescent ink. His world changed in that moment. He could honestly say it would never be the same again. He had to blink to make sure he was reading it correctly, but he was. It clearly said Elizabeth Bennet.

Beth knew he had found her name. It was obvious as he had quickly scanned, stopped, and blinked rapidly, his brow furrowing. She even thought he looked paler. She almost felt bad for him until Lucy pointed her out and began leading him over.

She looked about for a place to hide. She couldn't find one. As they reached her, she did _not _make eye contact. Instead, she concentrated on his nice brown shoes before panning up his legs, across his shoulders before glancing into his eyes for the briefest of seconds, and finally she settled her gaze somewhere near his mouth. She had forgotten how _green_ his eyes were.

"I'm sorry I left you like that, Beth. I was so surprised that Will was here. I guess he'll get to be your guide after all. It's probably for the best anyway. He's much better at it than I am. _Okay,_" Lucy finished, after the pause in which neither one had responded or acknowledged her existence. The door opened to reveal a rather lost looking freshman. "Excuse me." With that, their buffer left, leaving them totally alone, face to face, for the first time since that night.

Beth decided to get it over with. The sooner it began, the sooner it would end. She coughed lightly to clear her throat and extended her hand out in greeting, meeting his eyes fully for the first time. He seemed surprised, but reciprocated her actions.

His hand was warm, and hers looked childishly small in comparison. She quickly let go and shoved her hands into her pockets. Initiating the handshake had been as far as she'd gotten in coming up with a plan, and no other ideas on what to do were forthcoming.

What could she say to break the sudden and awkward silence? Every subject seemed to be taboo. She could not think of a single thing to say. Somehow, she thought _'_The last time we were alone we were making out' was a tad inappropriate for the situation. However, it was _all _she could think of.

"How is your, uh..., your family?" Will asked ungracefully, finally breaking the silence that lay over them like a blanket. He pursed his lips together slightly after he said it, as though wishing he hadn't.

"They're great! They're _great. _Great." She couldn't think of another adjective. "How's your family?"

He scratched behind his head nervously. "Well…my sister is doing well..." He was also missing, for the moment, the skills needed to think up adjectives.

'_How stupid of me. I knew he only had a sister. Why did I have to bring up his dead parents?' _Beth scolded herself silently.

"I take it your sisters are also dong well?"

"Yeah! They're doing great. They're...great..." She bit her lip and looked to the side, wishing the ground would open up and swallow her.

"Right. I'm going to go up." He pointed to the stairs. "Up to--up--I'm just going to _go_." He walked past her, toward the stairs. She could see him shaking his head.

Beth let out a huge breath of air she hadn't know she'd been holding, but sucked it all back up again when Lucy spoke. She hadn't realized she had come back.

"He's probably going to drop off his stuff. This is his dorm you know."

"Oh."

She wasn't listening to what Lucy was saying. She was playing the conversation she had just had over and over again in her mind.

_'I'm so dumb_,' she thought, cringing. '_I get accepted to one of the most prestigious school in America, and the only adjective I seem to have learned is 'great'. I'm such an idiot_.'

She was trying to calm down. She had _not_ been expecting to meet him like that. She had been hoping they would run into each other later. _Much later._ Definitely not her first day. She was feeling so lost and alone. She had secretly hoped they would meet on a date far into the future when she no longer felt like a transplanted house plant. Someplace where she would be witty and calm. Maybe they could start over and finally get an accurate impression of each other.

It didn't matter any more though. Whatever hopes she'd had were dashed. What had happened when they'd met could not have been any _further_ from what she'd wanted. Everything was so difficult when it came to Will.

She was grateful for Lucy's cheerful prattle. She was almost starting to feel normal again when she heard Will's distinctive gait coming down the stairs. She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and prepared to meet her fate.

She noticed he looked much calmer. The smile he was flashing certainly seemed to imply that his mood had improved.

Will joined them again. "Are you ready to go?" he asked Beth quietly, as if unsure of her reply.

She sighed and then took a deep breath. What would be would be. She would simply have to deal with it. She looked up to meet his eyes. "Sure. Let's go."

The other groups were also leaving, so she and Will followed them outside. She had to squint when they went out the doors. The sunlight blinded her. She was surprised that it still looked the same as it had. She felt as though a million years had passed since she had last been outside.

"So you must be excited—first day and all," Will said lightly, looking sideways at her.

She was astounded for a moment. She couldn't believe Will was making small talk with her.

"Yeah. It's been a pretty hectic day. I guess I'm just feeling lucky that Pemberley wanted to raise its enrollment; otherwise, who knows where I'd be."

The second it came out of her mouth, Beth wished she could take it back. She'd meant it as a joke in reference to one of their first conversations; she was feeling so nervous. But at the pained look that briefly flashed across his face, she wished she'd said nothing. Beth scowled darkly to herself.

In the next moment though, Will surprised her even more by continuing the conversation.

"I bet you'd be at some small, liberal arts college, keeping all the professors on their toes with insightful questions." He smiled lightly after he said it, and she remembered suddenly that he had dimples.

Beth found herself beaming back at him, grateful for the fact that he had let her remark go and for the compliment implied by the sentence.

"More like terrorizing them with my stubbornness."

He laughed before looking off into the distance. She had to smile back at him. He was acting more like Rich than the Will she knew, and she wondered at the changed.

He seemed to remember that he was supposed to be giving a guided tour and dutifully began pointing out buildings to her.

"Right, uh, in front of us here, we have most of the dorms on campus. Hollis, Thayer, Holoworthy, Stoughton, and Grays."

She smiled up at her dorm as he pointed it out. She couldn't wait to go start unpacking and meet her new roommate.

"Down the way here, we have the Science Center. You'll probably have a few classes there. That's where all the labs and science equipment are located. You'll probably have most of your classes in Emerson Hall or Server Hall. Those are those two buildings over there." He pointed them out. "Most of the classrooms are in there. You might have a few in Barker though. You never know."

Beth was amazed. In under an hour the campus had gone from a horribly confusing maze to a place she actually felt she could navigate. Will was an excellent tour guide. He gave her so many useful suggestions of places to see and things to do. Of spots she should stay away from, and most importantly, the only correct way to maneuver through Annenberg: the freshmen dining hall. She was so grateful for everything. She didn't feel like a stupid freshman any longer.

If it had been anyone else she would have been on her knees thanking them over and over again for the guidance, but with Will, she didn't know how to act or what to say. There was so much in their past. She wished they could both start over and forget about everything.

"Will," she said suddenly, interrupting. "Do you think we could start over?"

"The tour?" he scratched nervously behind one ear. "Sure...I guess. I mean, we're back at Donwell anyway."

"No," she shook her head, seemingly amused by his answer. "You and I."

He looked down at her, still puzzled. She finally elaborated.

"Do you think that _you_ and _I_ could start over?" She saw he was taken aback and quickly looked down. "I know there was so much...stuff between us in the past, but I thought maybe we could put it all behind us and start over." She finally found the courage to look up again. She met his eyes. "What do you say?"

She knew the answer before he said it. The smile playing on the corners of his mouth gave it away. "Yeah. I would like that." It broke out into a full-fledged grin. "I would like that a lot."

Beth had to fight the urge to laugh. He seemed so happy.

He held out his hand. "Hi, I'm Will. It's very nice to meet you."

She took his hand, laughing. "Hi. I'm Beth. It's nice to meet _you._ You were an excellent tour guide."

"Thank you. Maybe I can show you around again sometime." He suddenly looked shy.

"Maybe." She could only return his shy look with one of her own. She didn't know if they were ready for that yet. They'd only just begun being cordial to each other. Friendship seemed like a mighty big step to be taking.

"Are you thirsty? We could go back in and get you something..."

"Thanks, but I'm fine," she quickly replied. "I have to go start unpacking. It was nice meeting you though." She smiled to show that she was joking.

"Yes, it was. I'll see you around, Beth."

She nodded and then turned to walk the short distance to her dorm. The day was turning out differently that she had expected.

She went up the two flights of stairs quickly and turned in to the hallway before she ran into her pile of boxes stacked unceremoniously in front of her door. She picked up a box and opened the door with one hand. She was surprised. The room was small and could fit two people semi-comfortably, but wasn't anything to write home about.

That wasn't what had shocked her. What _had_ surprised her was the fact that the room was already half occupied. She had expected to get there first. Her new roommate turned to see who had entered.

"Hi! You must be my new roommate. I'm Marianne Dashwood." She smiled a warm and irresistible smile.

"Hi, I'm Beth Bennet."

"Are those all your boxes? Here, I'll help you drag them inside."

Beth was amazed by Marianne's energy. She was like the energizer Bunny; she kept going and going. She lit up the room by being in it. Beth had never met anyone who could talk so much. Her head was spinning from all the new information.

Marianne was 18, and born and bred in Minnesota. She had two sisters, and her father had died when she was ten. She was a business major, but wanted to minor in art. It was really her passion.

Beth found it hard to take her seriously. She looked like a pixie. She had short coppery curls that seemed to blaze when set against her translucent, pale skin, and snapping green eyes. It didn't help that she measured a whopping 5 feet 1 inch, and had a very petite build to go with it. Beth estimated she weighed a whole 100 pounds.

Beth let out a sigh of relief when they had moved all the boxes in.

"Thank goodness that's over. Now I only have to unpack _everything_."

"Yeah, it's going to take forever. I got here and I wanted to explore the campus, but now I'm like, _'I wanna get this all done.'_ I wanna feel like I belong here, and I won't until I have some of my own music playing and my own art up on the walls."

Beth smiled. "I know what you mean. I'm probably going to spend the rest of the evening doing this, and save the exploring for tomorrow."

"We could look around together tomorrow if you want."

"I'd like that." She smiled happily as she said it.

Beth looked around the room in satisfaction several hours later. It looked cozy, homey, and like some place she wouldn't mind living. Marianne's artistic touch had really added something to the room. Beth had gasped when Marianne pulled a few paintings out of a case.

"Those are beautiful! Did you paint those?"

Marianne nodded and smiled shyly.

"Why in the world are you a business major here? You should be off at some fancy art school instead."

"I would like to be, but my mom wanted to make sure I was secure in life, and she's the one who's paying for the education...so here I am. It's not so bad. I'm planning on minoring in it here, anyway." She shrugged and yawned. "I'm tired. It's so hard deciding where everything should go. As soon as I put it one place I start thinking, 'actually it would look much better over here.' Everything is where it is because I got too tired to try to move it around any more. I think I'm going to lie down for the night if you don't mind."

"Not at all. I was actually going to say the same thing myself," Beth replied.

"I can't wait for what tomorrow's going to be like. It's like some wonderful adventure. Like some book. I can't believe I'm really here. Pemberley; it's sickeningly romantic."

Half an hour later they were both happily tucked into their respective beds and quietly saying good night to each other.

Beth smiled up at the ceiling in the darkness. What a day it had been. She could only imagine what the future held for her.


	11. Imbibing friendship

_Shine_

By Luna

Chapter 11: Imbibing friendship

* * *

Beth woke, wondering where she was. Slowly everything slipped in to place as she remembered she was in her new dorm room. She sat up smiling, happy to begin a day of exploration. By the time she had finished taking a shower, Marianne was up and ready to go as well, and they set off together.

Although her roommate situation had been one of her primary worries, her interactions with Marianne soon dissuaded her fears. She was different than a lot of the girls Beth had gone to high school with, but somehow their personalities meshed anyway.

Despite all their other differences, they had a very similar sense of humor. Very early in, Beth found herself making jokes that she never would have made around Jane or Carla; Marianne just seemed to bring out another aspect of her personality.

If any one thing could be said, it was that Marianne had a style all her own. Beth had a gotten a glimpse into Marianne's closet and it was full of delicate dresses in subdued colors and silk scarves in pretty patterns. Her shoes were brown and clunky, with scuff marks around the toes. She'd told Beth that she liked them because she felt anchored in them. Beth had laughed, not knowing what to make of the statement.

She didn't know if it was because they had just met, but everything about Marianne seemed somehow romantic and mysterious, and like she was from another era of time. She reminded Beth of the type of girls that Alphonse Mucha painted. She envied Marianne a little for it; Beth knew there was nothing mysterious or delicately old-fashioned about herself.

After wandering for several hours, Beth had to leave Marianne and head over to the admissions building. She had been approved for a campus job, and she had to fill out all her paperwork. She didn't want a job, exactly, but she knew her books for the semester were going to cost hundreds of dollars, and she wanted to have some spending money without having to depend on her parents. She felt that she needed to assert her independence, and she couldn't do that while begging her parents for cash.

She followed the signs to the student employment office and came face to face with a harried looking secretary with frazzled, graying hair.

"I haven't gotten the list of open jobs yet. There aren't many openings anyway. If you're a freshman, you might have a chance; they like to hire young so they can work you all four years," she said, before Beth could even open her mouth. "But fill out the forms if you want. Maybe they'll give _me_ an assistant."

Beth raised her eyebrows, but wisely said nothing as she accepted the paperwork. She sat down in a squishy office chair with a sigh. So much for financial independence...

"As long as your phone number is on that first sheet, I'll let you know if there are any campus jobs," the receptionist said as Beth was leaving. She even managed a small smile, and Beth smiled back. She wasn't too devastated at the thought of not having to work. Who knew if she'd even be able to manage a job once school started. She had a feeling she was going to be bombarded with school work.

As the first days passed, she began slowly but surely to learn the names of the girls in the surrounding rooms and other members of her class. She even walked through her schedule once with Marianne to get the feel for it.

She had everything completely under control and was feeling pretty good about herself until the weekend before classes started when 10,000 people arrived to move into their rooms. Suddenly she felt like one tiny insignificant drop of water in a huge ocean of older and smarter people. She liked the anonymity the school offered her, but it was a lot to get used to. Places she had thought were uninhabited were suddenly teeming with life.

The one thing she missed from home was the privacy. She thought she was prepared to lose a little space, comfort, and bathroom time. She thought she was experienced, what with her two sisters, but not even they could compare to having to use a communal bathroom. She knew she would have to adjust to brushing her teeth with 20 other girls in the morning.

She loved her life at college. Granted, none of her classes had started, and she had more free time than she knew what to do with, but she loved it. She no longer woke to the sounds of Lydia's bickering or her mother's shouting, but to the early morning quiet of her dorm room. And _that _was enough to make her never want to go home.

She and Marianne would make it down to Annenberg Hall for breakfast around 11:30 and then take a leisurely stroll around campus, mapping out their routes for classes and planning places to meet throughout the day, for, as much as Beth hated to think about it, her first day was rapidly approaching.

She decided not to procrastinate for once, and so the night before her first class she set out everything she needed for the day, set her alarm clock, and picked out her clothes. She decided on jeans and a nice sweater. The outfit was simple and casual, but not grungy or sloppy. She wanted to make a good impression on her first day, and she knew having a nice appearance would help. She also tried, in vain, to go to sleep at a reasonable time, but she and Marianne ended up talking for several hours. When she looked at the clock and saw it said 1:10 she had to stifle a groan.

"I don't know how I'm going to stay awake for class tomorrow. It starts at 8:00."

Marianne answered through her yawn. "I know. It's almost as bad as high school. My first class starts at 9:10, so we're in the same boat here. We can be dead in the morning together."

"Wonderful," Beth said with a laugh. She was certain that she would not be in such a good mood in the morning; she was definitely not a morning person. She made a mental note to try to be nice to people tomorrow morning.

Perhaps she should have made another one to check her alarm clock.

* * *

"Beth…don't you have a class at 8:00?" Marianne asked in a voice laced with alarm.

Beth rolled over to look at the clock. It read 7:49. She sighed before lying her head softly back down onto the pillow and snuggling into the covers. Approximately 1.2 seconds later she shot up with a start.

7:50! She had an 8:00 class! With a jump and a kick she shot out from under the covers, almost landing in a heap on the floor.

"I guess that's a yes," Marianne replied dryly.

"I'm going to be so late!" Beth exclaimed as she hurriedly put on her clothes, and piled her unruly curls into a messy bun. Marianne handed Beth her bag and a stick of gum.

"I don't want you to frighten everyone away with your morning breath," she added in response to Beth's questioning look. "You should have procrastinated like I did. I'm sure you would have woken up on time. But, since you prepared, your alarm clock didn't go off. It's some kind of universal law."

"How convenient. If I run, I might make it. See you later." With that, she hurried out the door, down a few flights of steps, and out her dorm doors. She took a deep breath of the cool morning air and began her run across campus. Thankfully, she was spared any further embarrassment, for there were only a few people out to witness her mad dash across the grounds.

As she opened the door to the science center, a young man collided roughly with her, almost causing her to fall with the force. He, apparently, had been making a dash across campus as well.

"God, I'm so sorry. I was running late and I wasn't looking. Are you all right?" he said hurriedly, catching her arm to keep her steady. He looked mortified for almost bowling her over. She looked up laughingly into his concerned eyes.

"I'm fine. Thank you," she smiled. "I'm running late too. Where are you headed?"

"Psych. 101. What?" he added at the look on Beth's face.

"Me too."

He smiled at the coincidence. "Let's go. We don't want to be any later than we already are." He ushered her through the door. "I'm Cole Brandon, by the way."

"Beth Bennet. Do you think the professor will be angry?" she asked, as they hurried up the stairs.

"I'm sure she'll understand."

They turned the corner, and Cole pushed her lightly through the classroom door. She was struck with sudden stage fright as 45 heads quickly turned to see who had walked in late.

"Mr. Brandon," the professor said in a dry voice. "It's so nice of you to show up for class. I really appreciate punctuality in my T. A."

'_He's the teacher's assistant?_' Beth thought in wonder. That made him a graduate student, not an underclassman like she'd supposed. She had thought they were the same age. As she looked closer she could see he was older. His dark blond hair was not as shaggy or unkempt as many of the freshman boys wore theirs.

He obviously knew his way around the building. He had practically pushed her all the way to the classroom, never thinking twice about which direction to go. His light blue eyes were bight and alert with no puffy or glassy hung-over look about them. The way he carried himself was different from most freshmen too; he had more confidence. She was amazed that she hadn't noticed it all when they first met.

"Dr. Thompson, I was going to be on time, but I ran into Miss Bennet...and we got into a discussion about Freud, and you know how I get about him." He said it with the utmost solemnity and innocence. The professor looked very much as though she wanted to laugh, but she let the issue slide.

Beth slid into the nearest open seat and mouthed a grateful 'thank you' to Cole, who nodded gravely and tried to concentrate as the professor began to lecture. Her heart was still racing from the run.

As the rest of the class shuffled out, Beth slowly packed up her notes and handouts. She wanted to catch Cole at the door so she could thank him. She waited until he had finished talking with the professor and then lightly touched his arm.

"Are you leaving, or do you have to wait?"

He looked up, surprised. "No, I can leave. Let me pack this stuff." He shuffled his papers into a neat pile and packed them into his bag before showing her out the door.

She let out a huge sigh. "Thank you so much for saving me earlier. I don't know what I would have done without your help. My whole day would have been a disaster. I can't thank you enough—"

He cut her off. "Don't worry about it. Everyone has horror stories from their first semester here. It's part of being a freshman." Although Cole was several years older than Beth, he didn't seem to mind that she had struck up a conversation with him.

"Everybody goes through it, huh?" she asked slyly. "So what did you do?"

"There are so many mistakes to choose from," Cole said, and soon Beth's earlier grief was forgotten as Cole talked of his first days on campus.

"Where are you headed next?" he asked. "If you need any help finding your next class I'd be happy to assist."

"I'm meeting my roommate. I don't have another class for a little bit. Would you like to join us?"

Cole smiled sadly. "I'd like to, but I have another class coming up. How about I walk you there?"

She smiled brightly. "That would be nice. I want to hear more about your pledging days anyway."

They chatted amicably on their walk, and as they approached the student-run café, she started looking for Marianne. They'd agreed to meet outside by the doors. She gave up her search after a minute. She couldn't see Marianne anywhere.

Marianne surprised her by coming from the side. "Beth! I have to tell you somethi—oh hello," she said to Cole, as soon as she realized Beth had been walking with him. Marianne's glance was a flicker up and down without any interest before she turned her attention back to Beth.

Cole, on the other hand, definitely seemed interested. Beth was surprised by the intense look he gave Marianne, but then she smiled. Their personalities couldn't be more opposite, but she was sure they would make a great couple. However, her dreams of wedded bliss for Marianne and Cole were soon dashed by the very awkward silence looming over the three of them.

She turned to Cole, surprised. Where was the intelligent and engaging man she had walked with earlier? He seemed to have been struck dumb. She coughed delicately and pointed to the café.

"We've got to be going. I know you've got a class to get to," she added lightly.

He shook himself a little. "Right. I've got to be going. It was _nice_ meeting you," he added to Marianne.

She nodded, obviously uninterested. "Likewise."

Beth gave a little wave before she and Marianne turned and entered the doors. Marianne rolled her eyes.

"I'm not even going to bother asking what was up with _that_ guy, because," she paused for dramatic effect. "I've got a guy of my own to tell you about."

"Oh, really? After only a few hours?" Beth asked, skeptically.

"Yes really. He's tall, dark, and handsome. Gorgeous really. You should see his cheekbones. I just want to sculpt them; they're perfect. We talked poetry all through class. He's an artist too and so intense. He looks at you like he can see right into your soul…_so_ sexy…" Marianne finished with a little sigh.

"Does this dream-boat/sex-machine have, oh I don't know, a name?" Beth replied, laying on the sarcasm.

"John Willoughby... I just love saying it. Isn't that the dreamiest name you've ever heard?" Marianne had either missed the sarcasm, or chose to ignore it.

"The _dreamiest_," Beth replied with an eye roll of her own. Marianne narrowed her eyes into a little glare.

"He's better than that guy you were just with. _He_ looked about as passionate as a pair of socks."

"Cole is really nice. He saved me today when I walked into class ten minutes late."

"I forgot you were late." She laughed. "How did it go?"

Beth realized Marianne was deftly maneuvering around the Cole subject, but she let it go.

"Apart from the whole waltzing in late bit, it went well."

She filled Marianne in on how her morning had gone and then listened politely while Marianne talked about her morning. She was secretly trying to think of a way to change Marianne's opinion of Cole. Beth could tell already that Cole was a very good sort of man, and from what she had heard of Willoughby's character, she wasn't quite sure she could say the same thing.

* * *

As the week passed, Beth realized there was a reason Pemberley was often called one of the most prestigious schools in America. Most days Beth was simply buried under her coursework. Her professors had wasted no time assigning hundreds of pages of reading and multiple essays. By the end of the week, she was tired, but she was confident she had developed a system for completing all of her work without having to spend the entirety of her college career in the library.

By Friday, she almost felt as though she knew her way around campus, and belonged at the school. By the second week, she felt like she had been on campus her entire life, like a native.

She failed to run in to Will in her first two weeks at school. She couldn't decide if that was a good or bad thing. She gave Marianne the reader's digest view of their past and left out many of the juicer bits. She knew if Marianne knew the whole truth she would make up her own romantic version of the story and spread it all around.

Instead of describing the blundering, awkward interactions of Beth and Will, it would become a story of doomed lovers. Beth thought it would be much easier to make a fresh start without Marianne's input.

She and Cole would often walk after class. After bonding over walking in late together, they started up an easy friendship. She learned a surprising thing about him; he loved to play the guitar. He'd even written a few songs. She made him promise to play for her sometime.

When it was just the two of them walking he would smile and talk, but if they ever met Marianne, he would freeze up and go mute. Beth felt horrible. Marianne was merciless in her snubbing of him. She didn't do it on purpose; she simply had her mind on other things…John Willoughby to be exact.

Cole finally brought the subject up one day to Beth.

"Beth, I need your advice on something. I like Marianne and--."

She rolled her eyes and interrupted. "Really? I hadn't noticed."

"Am I that obvious?"

"You're not terribly obvious. I could tell, and she probably would be able to as well, except, well, she doesn't pay any attention to you whatsoever," she reluctantly finished.

He sighed. "That's the problem. I don't know how to act around her. I clam up. I'm boring. Beth, you've got to help. There's a party this Friday. It's at my old fraternity house. I promised some of the guys I would go. Will you come? And can you get Marianne to come too? It would be easier to talk to her there." He saw her starting to protest. "Please, Beth, I know if I can make the right impression she'll start to notice me. Please?"

She sighed. "All right. I'll try to get Marianne to go. For the record, I don't think this is a very good idea, and so if you get hurt it's _definitely _not my fault."

"Deal," he said, smiling softly.

She sighed again. What was she getting into? She was going to a _party _where there was going to be lots of alcohol and therefore drunk frat boys, she was sure.

A date would probably help the situation, but she hadn't met anyone yet that she would even consider dating. She had gone to some freshman mixers and had made acquaintances with people in all of her classes, but no one had caught her interest. Cole was about the only person she could think of to go with, and _that_ would certainly not help his situation with Marianne. Beth had a hard enough time already convincing Marianne that they were just friends.

When she tried to think of someone to ask, Will sometimes popped into her head, though Beth knew for certain _that_ would never happen. Beth spent a considerable amount of time outside of her dorm around campus, and she still hadn't run into Will. She was sure this party was the type of thing Will would have hated to attend. She also couldn't imagine going with him being anything other than awkward anyway. She decided to go stag.

* * *

Now that it was only a few hours away, she couldn't help feeling the little flutters of excitement. This was going to be her first big party at school.

As soon as Marianne came back from her art class, they began to get ready together. She let Marianne do her makeup and was pleased with the result. She'd never been able to do it well on herself. Marianne made it look easy.

They waited until they were fashionably late to set out. Marianne had a purse, so she took one of the room keys. Beth figured they would meet up at the end and go home together, and she didn't want to take her purse and have to carry it around the whole night or have anything happen to it, so she left her key in the room.

As they walked toward the fraternity house where the party was being held, Beth breathed out a little sigh of contentment. It was a perfect early fall twilight. A half moon was just becoming visible in the darkening night sky. A light breeze sent the first fallen leaves into a whirlwind of color around their feet, before dancing off across the deserted street. The air was still mild, but Beth could tell it would cool down later.

They could hear the party before they could see it. A booming bass and a large crowd gathered outside the front porch let them know which house it was. She knew about 1/3 of the people from her freshmen classes. She assumed the other 2/3s must be upperclassmen.

She greeted happily the people she knew outside the doors. Marianne stopped to talk, but Beth continued on inside. She wanted to find Cole. She wanted him to start talking to Marianne before some other boy, notably John Willoughby, got to her first. She was sure he was going to be in attendance, and if he got to Marianne first her whole plan for Cole would be ruined.

As she stepped inside she was hit with a heat wave. It was stifling compared to the nice and breezy night outside. She searched the room for Cole without any luck. Beth wished they had come up with some sort of plan about where to meet. Now she had to search through the whole house for him.

Beth sighed as she left another room. This was not how she had planned for the beginning of the night to proceed. What if she never found Cole?

She turned to enter another room just as someone was exiting. They just managed to keep from running into each other. Beth stepped backwards, looking up in total surprise at the man she'd almost ploughed into. It seemed she could only understand bits of him at a time: his jeans and dark long-sleeved shirt: the wavy hair, sticking out slightly in the back like he'd just run his hands through it, the green eyes smiling down at her. She inhaled, trying to force her stalled brain to come up with something to say to Will, but she had nothing.

Will looked surprised to see her as well, although he was doing a better job than she was at hiding it. He smiled down at her, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"Hi," they said at the same moment. Will laughed lightly, and Beth realized that he seemed completely at ease in the house. She was struck by a sudden idea.

"You're in this fraternity?" she asked, managing to keep most of the incredulousness out of her voice. She would have never expected it of him.

He laughed a little. "As surprising as it may sound; yes. I was ambitious as a freshman. Joined all sorts of clubs. Though I dropped a lot of them once they started sending me 20 emails a day," he added as an afterthought, shrugging good-naturedly.

They'd been blocking the doorway during their conversation, but as more and more people tried to enter the room, they were forced to move inside. Beth took the opportunity to look for Cole.

"Are you looking for someone?" Will asked curiously, and Beth nodded sheepishly.

"My friend, Cole Brandon."

Will's eyes widened, but then he blinked. He looked more astonished by this news than he had when they'd first run into each other. "I was just talking to him a few minutes ago in the kitchen; he's probably still there."

"You know Cole?" she asked, again surprised.

"Slightly. We roomed together last year."

She tried to keep her mouth from dropping open. Of course if they were in the same fraternity they would know each other, but rooming together was an entirely different story. She couldn't believe that her new friend was so close to Will. He'd never said a word about Will; but then again, neither had _she_. Beth tried to absorb the new information.

"Cole never mentioned that," Beth said, laughing nervously. Will smirked, looking as though he would have expected nothing different. Beth was suddenly full of questions about what their friendship was like. How had they met? How close had they been?

She was opening her mouth to ask him, when a girl Beth vaguely recognized took the moment to come up to Will. Beth's conversation with him had been continually interrupted by the people walking by saying hello, but this was the first time someone had walked up.

"Hey Will, how are you? I haven't seen you all semester," she said cheerily. Her attention seemed focused on Will, but she looked Beth over quickly. Beth almost laughed at the veiled question the look contained. The girl was trying to see if Beth was also trying to hit on Will.

He was looking surprised at the interruption, but he answered her kindly. Beth took the opportunity to excuse herself. She didn't need to get into something with a girl over _Will_. "I'm going to go find Cole," Beth said, still trying to keep from laughing. "Maybe I'll see you later," she finished, giving Will a wave. He opened his mouth to say something more, but Beth was already turning away.

She hurried off to the kitchen, eager to find Cole. As she entered the kitchen, a young man was pouring, one after another, five full bottles of something into a very large punch tub. Cole was standing a little way off in the corner munching on some chips. He smiled brightly when we saw her.

"Well, well. You do clean up rather nicely, Mr. Brandon," she said trying to act debonair. Cole had put on a nicer shirt than usual for the party, or perhaps for Marianne.

"Likewise, Miss Bennet. Your transformation is equally astounding."

She had to roll her eyes at that. She had borrowed one of Marianne's dresses, even though she thought it didn't look nearly as nice on her as it did on Marianne. On petite Marianne, it was very loose and flowing, hanging down to her shins; she looked like a woodland fairy. On Beth, the dress was still moderately modest, but it hugged her curves and stopped just at her knees. Marianne had been emphatic in saying how good Beth looked in it, and so she'd worn it.

"Yeah, well, I try. Come on. We're going to go find my roommate, and you're going to make a wonderful impression. You'll speak eloquently, maybe quote some poetry, and she'll fall madly in love with you."

"I don't know about all of that. I'd settle for not looking like a total idiot."

Beth laughed lightly as they stepped out of the kitchen with Cole nervously wringing his hands. The living room was transformed from when Beth had last seen it. There were several more lights out, making the atmosphere hazy, and couples everywhere had joined up on the dance floor, making the room look like a writhing mess.

She went to where she had last seen Marianne, but she was nowhere in sight. Turning back to the living room, she spotted her dancing quite closely with a tall and darkly handsome boy, who, in fact, had rather nice cheekbones. Beth let out a sigh, disappointed. "Damn." She looked at Cole sadly. They were too late. She grabbed his wrist.

"Let's go back to the kitchen." She had to shout for him to be able to understand what she was saying. On the way back she tried to think of a way to break it to him. She didn't know how to start. What little hope she had had for him and Marianne was gone. It would take a miracle for Marianne to notice Cole when she had her heart set on Willoughby. Now that Willoughby had noticed her as well, there was no chance. Beth eyed the punch bowl thoughtfully.

Cole looked at her, bewildered.

"I've got some bad news for you, Cole. How about we have a couple glasses of this punch, and then I tell you all about it?" she asked, reaching into the cabinets for some glasses. He furrowed his brow, but then smiled when she handed him a tumbler-sized glass and then took one for herself.

"Okay," he said skeptically, as he filled them up.

"Why do you say it like that? What exactly is in this punch?" she asked, smelling it suspiciously.

He laughed. "Nothing too bad, although, there's probably more alcohol in the cup than anything else. Highly concentrated. I wouldn't count on remembering much from tonight."

She laughed as he handed her a glass. "In that case, _you_ need to drink up." Beth sniffed at the liquid again, before shrugging her shoulders recklessly. It was college, after all. She took an enormous gulp, which she immediately regretted. She couldn't keep her features from twisting at the strong taste of the alcohol, only slightly dampened by the sweet flavoring of the punch. She stuck her tongue out.

"What _is _this?"

Instead of responding, Cole let out a large burp, and Beth couldn't help laughing. "The mark of a true frat boy. We need to get you a beer can so you can smash it on your head." Beth took a few more sips of the drink, grimacing each time.

"Seriously, _what_ is this stuff?" She didn't know if it was a trick, but the drink didn't taste nearly as bad as it had now that she was almost done with her glass.

She hadn't had much for dinner, and the alcohol already seemed to be rushing through her system. It was warm in her stomach and was making her fingertips feel fuzzy. She didn't even want to imagine what all had gone into it.

"This and that; it's not important. It gets the job done. So, what's this bad news?"

"I know you have this thing for Marianne, but she's sort of…interested in someone else. I thought that you still might have a chance because you're so nice…but I saw them dancing…Marianne and the guy…I'm pretty sure it was the guy…Anyway. I don't really think she knows you're alive, which is what tonight was for in the first place, and I'm so sorry it didn't work—" she had to stop babbling to breathe. The alcohol was loosening her tongue.

"Beth, it's okay. I understand." He laughed. "I kind of thought that's how it was. I'm probably too old for her anyway. Why would she pay any attention to me."

She looked at him, shocked. "You're not upset! I didn't have to make you drink that punch."

"No. But it sure is fun watching you babble. Here, let's have another glass to celebrate our Pemberley experience." Cole reached down and refilled their cups. Beth huffed and clicked her teeth together, already feeling tipsy, but she took the second glass from him nonetheless.

Perhaps because it held the punch, the kitchen had a magic draw to the party goers. A constant stream of people fluxed in and out of the room. Beth and Cole had perched themselves against one part of the counter top, and were watching their fellow students with amusement. For conversations that they couldn't overhear, they made up the words to.

"What's that?" Beth mimicked in a voice decidedly higher and more girlish than her own, as the girl across the room leaned over closer to the man she was talking with. Beth was dubbing over the conversation between the couple. "I can't hear you because my skirt is so short."

Cole laughed boisterously, and Beth couldn't help laughing herself. She had lost count of how many glasses of punch they had both drank.

Braver than she normally would have been, she asked Cole the question she had been wondering for most of the night.

"I ran into Will Darcy earlier, and he said that you were his old roommate?"

Cole nodded emphatically. "I miss living with that kid," he said fondly. "The stuff we used to get into…" He smiled. "Will was always up for anything. It was great."

Beth was looking incredulously at Cole, and he laughed.

"You wouldn't think so from looking at him, I know. And when we first lived together he would always say stuff like 'I can't; I have economics homework', but he learned," Cole finished with a smirk. He arched an eyebrow at Beth. "Why're you asking about Will?"

"No reason," Beth said quickly. She took a drink from her cup to buy time.

"How do you know him?" Cole asked, undeterred. She could see he was quickly forming conclusions in his head.

"I met him last summer. And then I ran into him tonight, that's all," Beth finished lamely. Cole was still looking at her, and Beth had the unsettling feeling that he was filling in the gaps of her story for himself. The music blaring from the living room caught her attention.

"I _love_ this song! Can we go dance?" More as a distraction than anything, she grabbed his arm and pulled him into the living room. Soon, she was dancing without any inhibitions the way only drunk people can manage. Unlike the other couples rubbing lasciviously against each other, Cole and Beth were coming up with the most absurd dance moves they could think of. Beth was laughing uncontrollably as their dancing earned them stares.

She could feel the alcohol running through her veins; it was making her lips tingle and her head spin happily. The night went on, more cups of punch were consumed, and her balance grew steadily worse. Cole had to save her several times from face planting onto the floor, but she only smiled up at him happily.

* * *

Hours later, she did not feel as good. The room was now spinning circles around her. Cole had left her to go to the bathroom, and she had lost him in the crowd. It wasn't surprising that he couldn't find her again; the living room was packed. What _was_ surprising was that Will did.

He was walking out to the door from the side room where he had been talking with some of his friends. As he crossed into the living room he unexpectedly saw the one person he had been looking for all night, with her shoes in hand, using the wall as support, and looking as though she was about to keel over. He walked quickly over to her.

"Beth, are you all right?"

She brightened considerably on seeing him. He'd never seen Beth so happy to see him before. "Fitzwilliam! Hi! I'm fine fine fine. I'm…" she giggled. "_**So**_ dizzy. The floor won't ss-stop ss-spinning." She broke off into more giggles, blowing a stray hair out of her eyes. Try as she might, her eyes would _not_ stay open all the way. She shrugged unconcernedly. She was certain it only made her look sexy.

He was confused at first by the use of his full name and not quite sane laughter, but had to laugh when he realized she was totally drunk. She couldn't even focus on him. "Do you want to go outside and get some air?"

"That would be _**so nice**_," she said, her smile breaking out into a wide, wide grin. He held onto her arm and walked her outside. "Wow. It's about 90 million degrees cooler out here," she said in amazement, placing her shoes in his hands without asking while she sat down ungracefully on the front step. She pointed to the ground next to her. "Sit."

It was getting hard for him to keep a straight face. "If you insist."

"I _do_ insist. How'sitgoing?" She said the sentence in one jumble. "Doyouknow," she said, shaking her head and interrupting before he could respond to her question. "Some girl was making-out with this guy on the dance floor for _forever_. I kept trying to not look, but they were _everywhere_. I couldn't get away. I almost told her, why don't you go home and then you can make-out all over the place and no one will care." She rubbed her eye with one hand for a few moments, and then started laughing again. "They were _disgusting_."

Will was laughing quietly to himself, more at Beth's mannerisms and the way she was telling the story than the story itself. She leaned over to nudge him with her arm. "Was it a good party?"

"Yeah, pretty good," he said, playfully returning her nudge. "I was actually going to head home, though."

She grabbed his shoulders and brought their faces extremely close. "No! You can't go home! There's more fun to be had!" She looked extremely sad and distressed until a knowing smile came over her face and she nodded. "You should try the _**punch**_."

He smiled. "Oh, I know all about that punch. Maybe some other time." He stood up slowly. "Are you going home too? I could walk you…"

"_Fitzwilliam,_ you're ss-so nice! You're just about the nicest person I've ever met in my entire life. I'll just—Oh My God! _Where_ are my _**shoes**_?" She jumped to her feet and began frantically searching around, only to lose her balance and stumble into him. He caught her before she could fall.

"Whoa. It's okay. I have your shoes. You gave them to me, remember?" She looked up at him, confused. "I'll take that as a no." He laughed. "You gave them to me to hold," he said. "Don't worry, I'll keep them safe. Can you walk?"

She gave him the evilest glare she could muster, which, granted, wasn't very evil, and punched his arm. He looked down with surprise and tried not to laugh. He was sure she wouldn't appreciate it; he knew she was trying to be tough.

"I'm _**drunk**_, Fitzwilliam, not crippled." She huffed indignantly, tossing her head. She obviously felt insulted. "Of course I can _walk_…I just can't remember which way it is."

He held up his hands in defeat. "Sorry. Just follow me."

She was instantly happy and nice again, and with a little laugh she linked their arms together.

They began the walk back to campus, and Will laughed as Beth babbled happily and incessantly about how she'd had a stuffed giraffe when she was little named Leopold or about the time she found a stray cat and it bit her and she thought she had rabies. She was stumbling over her own feet with increasingly frequency.

She was very mischievous and slipped away from him, running ahead to sprawl out on a bench. The bench was a little too short for the entire length of her body, so her feet dangled off one end as she lay on her stomach. Her right arm had slipped off the bench too, and she was making patterns in the dust and dirt with her fingers.

"Aww, Beth." He smiled. "You should sit up."

"No, I -mmphmp..." was Beth's incomprehensible response, but she turned to her side and slid her knees up to her stomach, so she was curled up on only one half of the bench.

As Will sat down next to her, he was struck with a mischievous idea of his own. "Well, if you don't sit up now, that big spider is going to start crawling up--"

Will didn't finish his sentence as Beth let out a shriek. In a flash of movement she sat up and flung herself across the bench over to him for protection, throwing her arms around his neck. Her knee pressed against his, and her breath was hot and sticky on his throat. "Oh _no_. Kill it, _kill it, kill it_, please."

Will laughed so hard his eyes almost began to water, and he said, "I've never seen anyone move that _fast_."

As Beth looked from his face to the ground where the nonexistent spider was supposed to have been, she laughed too. "Oh you jerk."

She caught his eye, and he looked down quickly, the laughter slowly fading from his face. They were so close. Their knees were still touching. Will knew they hadn't been this close since Carla's. When he glanced at her again, she was still looking at him intently, absentmindedly biting down on her lower lip. This time he didn't look away. Almost like she was testing what would happen, Beth leaned forward slightly, bringing their faces closer together. Her eyes were on Will's mouth.

She didn't move to close the final inches from his mouth to hers. The silence was heavy in the moments that passed, only the sound of their breathing between them. "Are you going to kiss me?" she finally asked, looking up to his eyes.

He raised an eyebrow, letting out a little laugh of surprise as he searched her face. She looked completely serious. He also knew she was completely drunk.

He shook his head slightly, and his voice was husky when he spoke. "No, not right now. That wouldn't be very gentlemanly of me, would it?"

She narrowed her eyes angrily, putting distance between the two of them on the bench. "Fine. I didn't want you to do it _anyway." _She got up quickly only to plop back down onto the bench with a groan. "I don't think I can walk anymore." She slumped down and closed her eyes.

"It looks like you're stuck with me then."

She didn't respond for a few minutes. "No, I'll stay here," she said, indicating the bench and surrounding bushes without opening her eyes.

He laughed. "I don't think so. Where's your dorm?"

She still didn't open her eyes and only pointed off vaguely into the distance. "Dunno," she finally murmured.

"What do you mean, you don't know?'" he asked her disbelievingly.

She giggled and finally opened her eyes. They were wide but unfocused. "I'm directionally as well as movably challenged."

"What does _that_ mean?"

"Fitzwilliam, I can't get in the dorm because Marianne has the _key_. A slight oversight on my part," she said, indicating the distance of "slight" with her fingers. "Plus, the night guard won't let _you_ in because I'm a girl and you might take advantage of me because you're a boy, although we could tell her you're a gentleman. Sir Fitzwilliam Darcy. Perhaps you could slip her some cash…? No? That's why this bench is a _great_ idea."

Will sighed and tried to think. He couldn't leave her. Who knew what would happen to her, or what she would do? They needed some place where she could lie down and maybe somewhere that had a bathroom nearby as well. He knew she would only feel worse as the night went on.

He paused, struck by an idea. She could sleep in his room. She could sleep in the bed, and he would sleep on the futon. It would be uncomfortable, but better than waiting hours and hours for her to sober up. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. His room would have to do. He couldn't think of anywhere else she could stay.

"All right, come on." He put an arm around her waist to help her up. "Put your arm around me—that way I can help you walk."

She started to protest. "But…I thought…but the bench…I was going to…_Fitzwilliam_, I'm tired." The last part fell into a whine. Will had to use a lot of effort to get her moving again. She was very limp and having a difficult time walking.

"I know. It's only a little further."

"Where're we going?"

"My dorm. Donwell."

"Mr. _Darcy_, how hospitable of you! Gentleman indeed."

Will finally got her walking again, although it didn't last for long. After another, shorter stop, they finally reached Donwell Hall. As expected, there was no attendant.

"Guess they don't care if wild women compromise _your _virtue," Beth suggested as they walked inside. They only had to get up the stairs and they would reach his room. Will was totally supporting her now.

"I hate these goddamn steps." Beth was showing every sign of stopping.

He laughed and grunted a little, pulling her forward. "We can't stop. We have to keep going."

"Don't want to." She slyly slipped out of his grasp and plopped down on the landing of the last flight.

"We're almost there, Beth. Are you going to quit?"

"_Yes_." She stretched out on the landing, covering her head with her arms. She was apparently planning to lie for some time.

"You really won't try to walk anymore?" he asked her, and she violently shook her head. He sighed, trying to think of another way to get her up the stairs. He ran a hand through his hair. "I guess I'll carry you. It's only a flight of stairs."

"Whoa, " she said, as he scooped her up, and they started up the steps. "Fitzwilliam, _this _is ridiculous. I feel like I'm in some cheesy novel. Except the heroines aren't usually drunk."

He laughed, but had to control it. "Don't make me laugh any more. I'll drop you."

She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked around, and then she patted his head twice. "Please don't."

He caught her eye and smiled. "I won't; I promise." They finally made it to his floor.

"Look, we're here." He propped her up against the wall and fumbled hurriedly to get the keys from his pocket. He rushed to get his door open, but Beth had already slid halfway down the wall. He prayed that no one would come out into the hallway because the scene would not show him in a particularly good light. Thankfully, all the doors in the hall stayed closed.

"Oh, no you don't," he said, hauling Beth upright before she made it all the way down the wall. Her feet slid across the carpet as he dragged her dead-weight to a chair in his room. She wasn't even attempting to walk any longer and her head was starting to loll on her neck. He was afraid that if he put her on the bed she would pass out. He took a minute to catch his breath and then grabbed a large glass and filled it with water. "Here, drink this."

"Punch?" She took a sip and nearly spit it back out. "Don't want that," she said, trying to hand him the cup, only managing to spill a lot of the water all over herself.

He laughed at the horrible face she made. "You have to drink it. It's good for you. Please?" He took the nearly empty cup from her and filled it again.

"No. It's _gross_."

"I'll make you a deal, when you finish it all you can go to sleep."

She eyed him warily, arching her eyebrow. "Promise?"

"I promise." He smiled his most winsome smile.

She narrowed her eyes, but she took the cup from him again. She took a deep breath and drank the whole cup in one go, burping when she finished. "Happy?"

"Yes, I am." He turned to his dresser, rummaging in the drawers. He pulled out a long-sleeve t-shirt and a pair of shorts. When he turned back around, Beth was happily munching on some crackers, which she had grabbed from the top of his mini-fridge without asking. Will smiled down at her, and poured her another glass of water to go with the crackers. She didn't resist when he handed it to her and even took a dainty sip.

"You can change into these, if you want," he said, holding up the shirt and shorts. He was sure that from resting on the bench and in the stairwell that her dress was covered in dirt.

She smiled warmly at him. Her eyes were barely open. "Thanks." She put the box of crackers down and stood unsteadily, balanced herself with the help of the chair, and then frowned.

"Something wrong?" Will asked. He hoped she wasn't about to vomit.

She mumbled something that ended with 'dress zipper.' "Help?" she asked.

He stared, mouth gaping for a second before he shook himself. "Ah…sure." She turned her back to him and drew her hair slowly over to the side, revealing the nape of her neck and the back of her dress. When he didn't move, she looked over her shoulder at him in a look that clearly said, Well?.

Will swallowed, mentally scolding himself as he walked over. Beth stood quite calmly as he approached, but he couldn't help letting his fingers trail down her skin as he pulled the zipper. He saw her shiver a little. "Sorry…" he murmured. He'd tried to clear his throat, but it still came out husky.

She turned around. "No problem."

Without any hesitation she began sliding the dress off her shoulders. Before Will could blink she was stepping out of it and kicking it to the side. She looked around for the shirt and shorts, seemingly unconcerned with the fact that she was standing in his room in her underwear. Will tried to have the decency to at least look down, but didn't succeed very well.

She pulled the shorts on first and then clumsily pulled the shirt over her head. Beth finally seemed to notice that Will was watching the whole process. She walked slowly to him. He was only a few feet from her. With a wicked smile, she reached up a finger and gently prodded his chest, saying, "Gentleman."

He didn't know if it was supposed to be a test or a taunt, but in another moment she stepped away and made a rather ungraceful leap onto the bed, which creaked in protest. Will had to smile.

"This is nice," she muttered, her voice muffled by the covers. "Your bed." She wiggled down under the covers. "You..." She paused and yawned hugely; she was already half passed-out. "Smell really, really _good_," she mumbled.

"Thanks..." He saw her dress lying in a pile on the floor. He picked it up and smoothed out the fabric, laying it on the back of the chair.

"'Night," he called out, but there was no response. Looking to the bed, he saw that she had already passed out. He smiled, and grabbed a few extra blankets out of the closet to make up the futon. After getting ready, he settled down to bed. He didn't know what to think.

There was no way he ever could have guessed that he would wind up taking Beth back to his room for the night. Of course, under the circumstances it was hardly romantic. He was grateful that he had been the one to find her and not some sick drunk. The thought of her helpless and in the hands of some creep was something he couldn't stand to think about. He hoped she would agree and not kill him in the morning_. _He would have to wait and see. He rolled over, and listened to the peaceful sound of her breathing. Soon, he was fast asleep too.


	12. Sensibility

_Shine_

By Luna

Chapter Twelve: Sensibility

* * *

Beth rolled over and opened her eyes with a groan, only to close them quickly again. The room was spinning, and the sunlight was blindingly bright. She pulled the covers up over her head and snuggled deeper down into the bed. If she kept her eyes closed and didn't move, the spinning stopped, and she didn't feel so much like vomiting. She inhaled deeply, savoring the smell, which for some reason was especially nice this morning.

The ringing of the phone rudely interrupted her thoughts, and she groaned again loudly. It was so loud! The noise grated against her nerves. She reached over, blindly, for her alarm clock, misinterpreting the noise, only to find it wasn't there. She didn't bother to move her head out from under the blankets; she simply groped the air with her hand.

When the answering machine clicked on, she finally woke up. Sitting up with a start, she looked around in alarm as the room spun around her once more. She put both hands on her head to steady herself. She swallowed heavily. She really hoped that she didn't throw up. She hadn't since she was a child and had the flu.

Horror sunk in as Beth realized that this was definitely _not_ her room. That was not her closet, her phone, her computer, her comforter, her _anything_. It was _all_ different. For one thing, it was much larger than her room, and for another, it was a single. There was only one bed. Her head hurt, her stomach hurt, and she was tired. Her mouth was so dry it felt like it was filled with cotton. She slumped against the pillows. She didn't want to move ever again. She was so hung-over she felt like _dying. _

She closed her eyes instead and listened to the answering machine, trying to get a clue as to whose room she was in, but both the caller and the machine itself failed to mention a name. She did find out one thing; the occupant of the room was male.

"Oh, god…" She'd hoped, for a very brief time, that the situation was not as bad as it appeared. She couldn't have gone home with a man she didn't know. Marianne was the type to do that, not her. There was no possible way...

Her feelings of dismay and alarm were growing, and her feeling of regret was growing as well. She wished she could remember what had happened. The party was all a blur, and she couldn't even remember leaving.

She groaned, but looked around, trying to find more clues from her surroundings. She made her bleary eyes focus. The room was clean; the items scattered about the shelves and on the desk were nice and of high quality. Looking down with a sharp intake of breath, she had discovered that she was wearing the occupant's clothing. She was practically swimming in his shirt. It had a Pemberley logo and 'Men's Lacrosse' on it. She could also see some sports equipment stacked in the closet.

'_All right, detective, think,'_ she thought to herself. _'A big, clean, rich, lacrosse player…Do I know anyone like that?'_ The only response was the painful pounding in her head. It was too early, and she was too sick to think properly. She looked down at the shirt thoughtfully. _'Maybe there's a name on the back of this.'_ With that bright idea, she slid her arms out of the sleeves, and began to turn the shirt around.

The door opened before she could find out if there was a name or not, and she hastily shoved her arms back into the sleeves. One second before he walked in, the answer to her riddle hit her. She blushed crimson as Will walked in. Beth hadn't thought it could get any worse, but, without a doubt, the situation had just reached a new low. She burrowed down into the covers, pulling them up to her eyes. She never wanted to come out again.

"Oh, _god_," she muttered.

She wanted to die. The situation was beyond awful. Beth was mortified. She put her head in her hand. She couldn't believe she'd done this to herself. She couldn't bring herself to look at him; she was too embarrassed. She laughed a little at herself and the situation. She didn't know what else to do.

He looked up and smiled as he came in. Laughter was a much better reaction than he had been expecting. "You're up." And then, "What's funny?" he asked, quizzically.

"Nothing," she muttered to herself. She thought perhaps she was still drunk. She couldn't get over how ridiculous everything was. For some reason, it always had to be Will.

She looked up finally, and rested her chin in her hand. Awkward or not, she would just have to deal with it. There was no way out of the situation. She didn't have enough energy to be angry. She was mainly concentrating on resisting the urge to vomit. "It's my destiny I guess to share especially embarrassing moments with you. Fate's got it in for us."

He smiled in agreement and said quietly, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Shaking her head at herself, Beth stretched, and very slowly got out of the bed. She had to wait a minute for the room to steady itself. She took a few tentative steps forward, and he handed her the bottle of water and aspirin he had been holding.

"_Thank _you," she said, gratefully. "My head is killing me."

"I can imagine."

She noticed he was looking extremely relieved about something, and she finally became curious enough to ask him about it. He smiled sheepishly.

"I was worried that you were going to be _really_ angry."

She nodded. "I'm not angry. How could I be? It was my fault…probably. I don't really remember anything that would make me angry, and I know nothing h_appened_, right?" she asked, reaching for her dress, avoiding his eyes.

He answered quickly. "_No_. Nothing happened. You couldn't get into your room. You didn't have the key, and so I took you back here." He pointed to the futon. "I slept down there, and—"

Beth immediately felt an enormous wave of guilt. "Will, you should have made me sleep on the futon." She was sure that he was too tall for the futon. It couldn't have been comfortable.

He smiled. "It wasn't really up for a discussion last night."

"Meaning I passed out on the bed?"

He nodded, smiling again, and she sighed looking down at her feet. "I see." She didn't even want to know what all had happened.

She looked at the dress in her hands. She didn't want to change back into it, and even if she had wanted to, there wasn't anywhere for her to change. She was in a boy's dormitory after all, and there was no way she was going to make Will leave so she could change.

"You can wear my stuff back, if you want. I don't mind." Will offered, seeming to read her mind. "You can give them back whenever you get a chance."

She looked up, gratefully. She couldn't believe he was being so nice about everything. "Thank you so much." She paused, dreading the thought of the walk she would have to take in the near future. "I should probably get going. Do you know where my shoes are?"

"Yeah," he looked around. "They should be…over there. I put them on the desk." He reached over to grab them and then handed them to her. "I could walk you, if you want," he offered, looking down.

Beth looked up, surprised. She wondered if he knew how much she had been dreading the looming 'walk of shame' across campus.

"Thank you," she said, matching his shy smile with one of her own. "I would like."

Beth looked through the early morning fog as they stepped out. There were surprisingly large amounts of people walking. She couldn't decide if it would have been more embarrassing to wear her dress. The ill-fitting ensemble she was currently sporting attracted the unwanted attention of a lot of people. But, then again, maybe it was _whom_ she was walking with that was attracting all the attention. She tried to ignore their curious glances.

"Cole called last night. He was worried about you. He felt bad about losing you at the party. When he asked, people told him that you had left with 'some guy'.

'_Poor Cole,'_ she thought, feeling badly. She had forgotten all about him.

"I told him it was fine, and all taken care of," Will finished.

"Thanks. I wouldn't want him to worry."

"I have my cell phone if you want to call Marianne," he offered, reaching into his pocket for his phone.

"Nah. I bet her phone is off anyway." She pointed up to her dorm as they approached it. "This is it. Gray's."

He nodded, looking up. "Good to know; I'll try to remember in case you ever forget again."

Beth didn't know whether to moan in despair or laugh, so she laughed, and then they stood awkwardly at the door for a moment. She couldn't think of anything to say.

"I guess I'll see you later," he said, after the long pause.

"Yeah…I'll see you." She started to turn away, but then impulsively turned back and stood up on her tiptoes to lightly kiss his cheek.

"What was that for?" he asked, happily puzzled. Beth didn't know herself. She was definitely still drunk.

"I… I wanted to thank you for everything; the clothes; letting me stay in your room;" She looked down. "Not taking advantage of me…because you could have and I know a lot of other guys would have, and I really appreciate that you didn't. So…thank you." She finished in a flustered rush. "I'll get these back to you sometime," she said, indicating the clothing, and without waiting for a response, she quickly turned and entered the building.

She failed to notice the small group of girls standing by the entrance, but unfortunately, the same could not be said for them. They watched as Will walked away, and as soon as Beth was out of earshot, they began to whisper excitedly.

* * *

As Beth walked up to her room, she could only hope that Marianne was there, and/or the door was unlocked. Otherwise, she would be out of luck. She was happy to find that Marianne had been back and the door was unlocked. When she stuck her head in to say hello, however, it was obvious that Marianne was no longer there. Beth didn't ponder over it for long. She put her shoes on her bed, grabbed a towel, some clean clothes, and her shower kit, and then padded off down the hall to the showers. She was dying to get clean.

Of course, once in the shower she couldn't keep her mind from wandering, as it was want to do. She couldn't believe she had spent the night at Will's; even in the shower, she was blushing. '_How embarrassing it was to wake up in a total stranger's—'_ She stopped the thought.

He definitely wasn't a total stranger, why did she feel like he was_? 'It's because he's so different here,' _she thought.

She didn't know what she felt about him now. One thing was for sure: she definitely didn't hate him; those feelings had vanished not long after they appeared. She was ashamed at herself for ever feeling them. After his letter, she almost unwillingly began to respect him. It was obvious there was more to him than she originally assumed. That respect could only grow as she spent more time at Pemberley.

Their first meeting had been uncomfortable, but she was grateful that he even acknowledged her presence after the way she had treated him at Carla's. Everyone at Pemberley only had good things to say about him. She found it hard to disagree with such a high opinion of him; if the general populous of the school held him in such high esteem, there had to be a reason.

After their more recent encounter however, all she could feel was gratitude. She didn't want to imagine what would have happened had she gone home with anyone else. She knew there had been moments where he could have taken advantage of her, but didn't. Why would he go through all the trouble of keeping her safe? It was obvious then, that he still cared.

Beth only had to decide if she cared for him as well, or more importantly, whether she was ready to find that out about herself. Rinsing the last of the soap off, she shut off the shower. She dressed quickly and angrily toweled her hair. She didn't want to think about it anymore. All she really wanted to do was go back to her room and sleep. Exiting the bathroom, she headed back to her room for a _lot_ of rest and relaxation.

Walking back, she felt uneasy prickles all over her skin. '_Is it me, or is _everyone _staring?_' she thought, walking faster, as many of the girls out in the hallway _did_ stare after her. By the time she reached her room she was flustered.

Marianne was on her computer, but wheeled around when she heard Beth come in.

"Hello _Elizabeth_," she said, slyly. "And _where_ have you been?"

"I—"

"Wait, I know," Marianne continued innocently, interrupting Beth. "The whole building is talking about how you spent last night, and this morning too apparently, shagging a certain _Mr._ Darcy—"

"_**What?" **_Beth nearly screamed it. She was too dumbfounded to speak and she sat down heavily on her bed. "Oh _god_…"

"I know. You must be _so _tired."

"Marianne! Please be serious."

"I'm sorry," she said, giggling. "It's so funny. People have been sticking their noses in here all morning, and IM-ing me nonstop. It's quite the scandal… totally untrue?"

"Of course. I can't believe you even have to ask. What are they saying?" Beth asked wearily, lying down on her bed.

"I got the full scoop from Samantha this morning on my way to breakfast." Marianne started happily, thoroughly enjoying the whole thing because it was so ludicrous. "Apparently, you were seen walking back to his dorm early last night all _over_ each other."

"I was drunk! I couldn't walk straight, and he had to help. It wasn't—"

"I know, honey" Marianne soothed. "Of course, once you reached the dorm a night of steamy, passionate sex _had_ to ensue. He was then seen early this morning buying "supplies". Samantha didn't say exactly what kind but, well, you get the picture."

"Oh god! I think he went and got aspirin…"

"_Anyway,_ you both appeared about an hour later looking extremely _disheveled_. You, of course, were wearing his clothing, which I see happen to be over there in the hamper. Interesting. A passionate goodbye kiss ensued at the door, and here we are now."

"I think I'm going to throw up. No wonder everyone was staring at me."

"Out of curiosity, what really did happen?"

Beth rolled her eyes. "I was drunk, and I couldn't get back in here. _You_ had the key. We went to his dorm. He let me borrow a shirt and a pair of shorts. I slept in the bed, and he slept on the futon. He walked me back here. The end," she said, tiredly.

"No kiss?"

Beth laughed. "I kissed his cheek to thank him for being so nice. It was a very 'friendish' kiss. Compared to our _other_ one, it was like nothing."

Cringing, she realized what she had said and wanted to slap a hand over her own mouth. She promptly decided she was too hung-over to talk to anyone. All of her secrets would be found out. She had forgotten that Marianne knew very little about her past with Will.

Marianne laughed happily. "I heard that, and we can ignore it for now, but you _know_ I'm going to bring it up sometime unexpected, and _then _you have to spill your beans."

Beth shook her head, still unable to believe she had said it out loud. She sighed.

"I'm never going to live this down. I hope he isn't getting the same thing over at Pemberley."

Marianne shook her head. "Nah, it's pretty much contained to this building…for the moment. Rumors fly though…" she warned, and Beth groaned. All she wanted to do was sleep.

"Okay," Marianne sighed. "Since you are hung-over, and I am the best roommate in the whole world, I'll let you sleep, and I'll go out and work on damage control."

"Oh, thank you. I love you forever. What are you going to tell everyone?"

"That you're recovering from a regular hang-over, not a _love_ hang-over, that the rumor is 100 percent untrue, and that if they want to know the real story they can ask you later."

"You're a genius."

"I know. You owe me for this one, and I think I know just what to ask for."

"Okay, okay. I'll tell you _all_ about it…just not right now."

"You've got a deal."

Of course, after Marianne left, Beth found it almost impossible to sleep. She couldn't believe the girls on her floor. She couldn't bear to think of what it would be like if the rumor got to Will. It would be mortifying. He might think she had made the whole thing up herself, and it would ruin whatever tentative relationship they had.

She couldn't call it friendship exactly, although taking care of her had been extremely friendly and very nice. She found their relationship hard to define. She'd never had a friendship before that was so jam packed with tension. She pushed away the thought of what _kind_ of tension it was. She rolled over and pressed her face into her pillow. She wanted to scream, but settled for a groan instead.

* * *

A few hours later when Beth woke she felt almost human again. She was surprised to see the answering machine blinking. She must have slept through the call. Not many people called to their dorm room, and she was curious to see whom the message was from. She pushed the play button.

"Hello, this is Sonya Welch calling for Elizabeth Bennet," said the voice, sounding oddly familiar. "There is an open job on campus; the economic office needs an aid. If you're interested please call me back at this number." After listing the number, it clicked off, and Beth looked thoughtfully at the machine. Apparently she was getting a campus job after all.

She and Marianne stayed up that night talking. Marianne successfully squelched the rumor and kept it from spreading any further, but Beth could tell that some of the girls still believed it was true. In any case, no one came to ask her what the real story was.

"I wonder why?" she asked Marianne.

"They aren't interested in the truth because it's _boring_. They only want to hear about things that are juicy. You sleeping on the bed with him on the futon is boring. You having a clandestine, hot and steamy romance with Will is very, _very_ juicy. Plus I think they're jealous. If any one of them had been in that situation, they would have jumped all over him."

Beth smiled. "I think I passed out before I got the chance."

Marianne laughed. "Only you, Beth, only you. But you know, this train of thought reminds me of something… can you guess what I'm talking about?"

Beth sighed and then smiled devilishly. "I'll tell you about _my_ past with Will, if _you_ tell me what happened last night with Willoughby."

"Oh, please, that's easy. We went back to his place…and I'm sure you can guess what happened. He didn't sleep on the futon." Marianne waved it off. "Now tell your story."

Beth was not to be deterred. "So things are going well?"

"Yes, they're fine…great…wonderful…peachy. Now please," Marianne whined. "I want to hear juicy gossip that's true."

Beth rolled her eyes and gave Marianne the full story of her past with Will.

Marianne lightly clapped her hands and smiled happily at the end.

"Why are you smirking?"

"No reason."

"Marianne."

"It all makes sense now," she said, happily.

Beth furrowed her brow. "What do you mean by _that_?"

"Nothing. I'm going to bed now."

"Marianne, you can't say something like that, and then expect me to go to sleep."

Marianne however, ignored her protests, and calmly turned off the lights.

* * *

Beth looked nervously up at the economics building. She had called the head of student employment and arranged a work schedule. Now instead of being able to walk with Cole after her intro psychology class, she had to work at the economics office. She didn't know what to expect from this job; she'd never even been inside the building before. However, she squared her shoulders and walked inside the doors. The office was located right inside.

There were a series of doors labeled with professors' names and several large cork boards. One was filled with the schedule of the economic classes, and the other was filled with posters for graduate schools and internships. Beth bit her lip, wondering which professor she should report to. She finally decided to approach the head of the department and knocked on her door, which was slightly open. The professor swiveled away from her computer toward the door. "Yes?" she asked, smiling.

"Hi, I'm Beth Bennet. Student employ--"

"Oh, you must be our new office aid," Dr. Jones interrupted, and Beth nodded. "Great. Let me just save this exam on the computer, and I'll show you around." Dr. Jones clicked away several boxes on her computer and then began the tour of the office. She pointed out where each professor's office was and showed Beth the copy machine and the professors' mail boxes. "Basically all you have to do is sort out the mail in the morning and make copies for professors when they need them. When students come in, you can point them to the right door."

"That's all?" Beth asked, surprised, although she was secretly pleased to have obtained a sinecure. As long as professors didn't need too many copies, that meant she could get paid by the university to sit and do her homework.

Dr. Jones laughed. "It's a tough job, but someone has to do it. Feel free to help yourself to the donuts in the box. They're leftover from the colloquium we had last night, but I think they're still good. Only a little stale..."

Beth smiled and sat down at the main desk, while Dr. Jones walked back into her office. After several minutes, in which no professors brought her papers to copy or lost students wandered in, she got out one of her textbooks and began to read for her next class.

The office was very quiet, and for the first half hour, Beth couldn't get over the feeling that she should be doing something other than her own work, but she soon got over it. She gave up on her text book soon too; she simply didn't feel like reading, and instead began to stare into space with her chin propped in her hand. She felt tired, wishing she could go to her room to take a nap. Soon she was lost in a day dream, eyes glazed over.

The professor's door facing her opened, and a student walked out. It wasn't until she registered that the student was Will that she snapped out of her daze. He looked surprised to see her sitting at the desk. His smile was lopsided, and she knew he was laughing at having caught her completely unprepared. She blinked and shook herself a little, trying to not be embarrassed. She hadn't expected to see Will; she sincerely hoped he hadn't heard anything about the rumor.

"Er-hi," she said ungracefully, and she dropped the pen that she'd been holding. She had to scramble to keep it from falling off the desk, and his smile got a little wider.

"I didn't know you worked here," he said to Beth, nodding to a professor who walked out of the door. "I was just meeting with my adviser."

"Oh," Beth said. "Today's my first day."

"Don't let them work you too hard..." he said, laughing, and Beth smiled, feeling a little more comfortable. She was surprised when he put down the folder he'd been carrying and his keys, indicating that he was going to stay and talk to her. Beth knew that if the situation had been reversed, she would have run from the building as quickly as possible. She wanted to run away as it was. The idea of holding a conversation with Will made her very nervous for some reason.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, flashing a dimply smile.

Beth shut her eyes briefly. "I'm fine, although I didn't stop being hung-over until about 5:00 that day. Remind me to never drink that punch again."

Will laughed. "I think every one of my acquaintances has said that same sentence at least once. Maybe we should put up a warning sign at the parties."

"Yeah, one that says 'Lethal'." Beth laughed at herself. "I guess I don't really have an excuse. Cole warned me before we started drinking; I just thought he was kidding."

Will nodded. "Don't worry. I've seen him in much worse shape than you...much worse," Will added after a pause. "He got us thrown out of the IHOP last year."

Beth burst out laughing, and Will continued. "Of course if you ask him about it, he'll say it's all my fault."

"What on earth did he do?" Beth asked in amazement, and Will began laughing again. He looked around at the professors' open doors, and Beth realized that the teachers could hear most of their conversation. Will smiled and pointed his head toward the doors. "I think that's a conversation for another day."

Beth nodded. "I'll have to ask him the next time I see him."

"How much longer do you work today?" Will asked, picking up his folder and keys again. Beth glanced at the clock.

"About another half hour."

He nodded. "I've got a class to go to, so I'll let you get back to work." He paused and Beth smiled. "I guess I'll see you later?"

She nodded, fiddling with her pen. "Yeah, I'll see you later."

Will nodded and then left the office. Soon a professor gave her her first job; she had to make 40 copies of a handout for his class. Waiting for the papers in the bright green glow of the copier, Beth contemplated the conversation she had just had with Will. She tried to smother the bright smile that kept popping out across her face. The interaction had not been horrible, or awkward, or strained for once; it had been…nice.

* * *

As the weeks passed, she became more accustomed to her new work schedule. She was happy to find that Will spent a lot of time in the office, and he was often there on the days that she worked. At the very least, it was no longer awkward between them. She even thought they were starting to become friends. Beth couldn't decipher her feelings. Did she want more than friendly talks with him?

Beth was happy that the fall break was coming up. She couldn't wait to visit her family, and see Jane again. She made a trip one day out to her mailbox to see if any letters or packages had arrived from home. She was delighted to find that she did indeed have a package waiting for her. She was fairly certain that homemade brownies were inside.

Stopping at one of the armchairs in the lobby of the building, she decided to open it up, and find out if she was correct. The box, however, proved harder to open than she had anticipated, and frustrated, she was just about to go ask the desk clerk if he had any scissors to cut the pesky tape, when Will walked in, followed by a beautiful, leggy brunette.

Beth was amazed; she had never seen the girl before and had definitely never seen the two of them together. It was obvious that they were comfortable with each other though, as they laughed and joked together in the lobby, and after escorting her out, Will casually draped his arm over her shoulders. If he had seen Beth, he hadn't acknowledged her presence. Beth's eyes, which had been open in amazement, slowly narrowed. Was she jealous of this gorgeous girl? N_o_, of course not.

'_It's just not right that anyone should have legs that long,_' she thought, trying to rationalize_. _She grabbed her box and headed off to her room. Her mood was more than slightly dampened.

The next day at work, she made sure to be busy with work. When Will strolled in and perched on the edge of her desk, she barely even looked up. Instead she turned the page of her text book.

"Hey."

"Hi." she said coolly, turning another page. She didn't look up. If he was spending his time with that brunette, Will could have no cause to talk to Beth.

"I was wondering if you were doing anything after work." He swallowed. "Charles Bingley got out on break a few days ago, and he's here visiting for the day. He mentioned wanting to see you…"

Beth looked up and smiled brightly, forgetting all about keeping a chilly demeanor.

"I haven't seen Charles in forever."

She was very excited at the prospect. Whatever anger she had felt toward him was gone, and she was anxious to see him again.

Will, however, wasn't finished, and continued on, a little nervously. "My sister is in town for the day too, and she'll be coming with us. She'd like to meet you."

Beth was taken aback by that. She wondered how his sister had heard about her, and she sincerely hoped that the source had not been Caroline Bingley.

She shrugged nonchalantly. "The more the merrier. I can't wait to meet her."

She was feeling nervous as they approached the café where they were meeting Charles and Anna, but it was all wiped away when Charles got up as they drew closer, and greeted her with a big friendly hug.

"Beth, it is so good to see you," he said, smiling happily.

"It's good to see you too. It's been too long."

Will cleared his throat, politely interrupting. "Beth, this is my sister, Anna. Anna, this is Beth Bennet."

Beth turned to shake hands with Anna and received quite a shock.


	13. Ready, eager, and determined

_Shine_

By Luna

Chapter 13: Ready, eager, and determined

* * *

Beth tried to keep her eyes from widening in surprise as the lovely brunette she had seen Will walking with earlier stood up to shake her hand_. _She felt extremely foolish for assuming they were something other than brother and sister. She gave herself a mental shake and extended her hand.

"It's so nice to meet you," Beth said, smiling brightly.

"The pleasure is all mine," Anna replied, her green eyes meeting Beth's as a shy dimple appeared in her smile. Now that Beth was face to face, she could see the obvious resemblance between Anna and Will.

"I've heard so much about you. I couldn't wait to meet you." Anna continued, as Will and Beth sat down.

"Oh?" Beth said in surprise, turning slightly to look at Will with a raised eyebrow. She couldn't imagine what he had told his sister. For the majority of their acquaintance she had been terrible to him. "I hope you haven't heard too many horrible things about me."

Anna smiled and shook her head. "Not at all. In _fact_—"

The waiter interrupted to take their orders, and she never finished the sentence. Beth had the sneaking suspicion that Will had kicked Anna under the table to keep her from going on, and Beth had to smother her urge to burst out laughing.

"How do you like the college life so far, Beth?" Charles asked, sipping on his iced tea.

She smiled. "I love it. All of my classes are going really well."

Charles smiled jovially. "Are you excited for the fall break?"

She nodded happily. "I can't wait to go home and see my family. I never thought I would say this, but I do kind of miss them; especially my father and sisters." She turned to Anna. "I heard you were studying at Julliard. How has your year been so far?"

She smiled shyly again. "I haven't messed up too horribly at any of my recitals, so I'd say it has been going pretty well."

"Don't be modest," Will said smiling proudly, breaking in for the first time. "Anna is first cello in the symphonic orchestra, _and_ she beat out a couple of upperclassmen for it."

Anna blushed lightly. "You just _have_ to tell everybody about it, don't you?" she asked, highly embarrassed.

Will smiled rakishly back. "Of course I do. What are big brothers for?"

She rolled her eyes and hit him lightly on the arm, and they happily began to bicker over the issue. Beth couldn't help but laugh_. _They were so similar to her and Jane. Her thoughts suddenly turned to the other person at the table, and she wondered if Charles was thinking about Jane too.

She'd tried at the beginning of the lunch to discern any differences in his demeanor or appearance, and only found that he seemed a little quieter than she remembered. He seemed somber_._ She noted with interest that he had opened his mouth several times to ask her a question only to frown and slump back in his chair.

"How is your family doing?" Beth asked Charles, smiling encouragingly. She'd decided to make it easier on him and brought the subject up herself.

"They're great. My father is busy at work, and my mother attends millions of social events. Business as usual."

Beth hated to ask the question, but forced herself to anyway. "And Caroline?" she asked, unenthusiastically.

He laughed happily. "I think she's fine. I haven't heard anything to the contrary. She's living at home, following the same routine she's had for years…"

"What routine is that?"

"Be as lazy as humanly possible and buy as much junk as my father will allow."

She laughed. "Thank you for the mental picture. I can see her glued to the Fashion Network in her Gucci lime green track suit, marking down what she wants to buy the next time she goes shopping on 5th Avenue."

"She has a _tangerine_ track suit," he corrected playfully.

Beth laughed again. "How silly of me. I should have known."

Charles sneaked a quick look toward Will and found that he was still animatedly engaged in play fighting and teasing his sister. Taking courage from that, Charles finally asked the question he had been dying to ask for the past half-hour.

"How are _your_ sisters?"

Beth thought for a moment. "Let's see… Lydia is the same as always. I'm really surprised she hasn't been suspended for truancy yet; she only goes to class when she feels like it." Beth took a deep breath. "Jane's been doing okay. I've noticed she's been a little sad lately, but," she shrugged her shoulders. "What can you do? I'm sure it will pass with time."

Charles's brow was furrowed as though he were deep in thought. He gave a slight smile. "I—oh, look, the food is here."

They all broke off from their private conversations to dig in. The food helped to dissipate the sad air that had been around Charles as they talked of Jane. He was happy and smiling again. Beth was delighted to hear stories about his and Will's days rooming together at their prep school.

"I don't know _what_ the rooming board was thinking putting two spoiled boys in a room together. Neither of us was very good at sharing. Maybe they knew that no one else could deal with us. We _hated _each other right from the start," Will said happily, munching on a French fry. Beth raised her eyebrows in surprise.

Charles chuckled. "We really did hate each other, didn't we?" he said, shaking his head. "I had almost forgotten that."

"How was this dilemma solved?" Beth asked curiously, thoroughly enjoying the lunch. She had never seen Will so open before. Maybe it was the funny stories Charles told about his sister, or the beautiful day, or the presence of his sister and best friend; Beth only knew that she had never seen him smile or laugh like that before, his head thrown back in amusement, his mouth happy and loose as he laughed. Beth decided that she liked him this way. She wished he would always be so carefree.

She wondered, suddenly, if he usually was that carefree, and if he only acted differently around_ her._ She knew she acted differently with _him. _If she could only relax, it would be different. The problem, of course, was the tension. It was always there like a wall between them. Beth knew the reason why tension existed, but was afraid to admit it to herself. She made herself articulate it.

She was _attracted_ to him, and she always had been. She wondered if he was attracted to her, shook the thought away. After all their past, there was simply no chance he could want to be with her. She had already turned him down once.

Beth forced herself to focus on the conversation; it was hardly the time or place to be analyzing herself.

"I let him borrow my game-boy, and from then on we were friends," Will finished, happily unaware he had been under close scrutiny.

"Wait, wait, wait," Beth said, disbelieving what she had heard. "Your instinctive hatred of each other was cured by a _video game_?"

They both looked at her as though she were crazy.

"Well…yeah." Charles finally said. "I'm easily placated."

Will smirked. "You didn't want me to massacre you at Super Mario Brothers anymore," he taunted.

Charles's eyes narrowed. "You did not _massacre_ me. I remember distinctly beating you several times."

"Please. I am the undisputed master of that game. Ask Anna; she's never won a game against me," he said proudly, dimples on display as he leaned back in his chair and smiled widely.

She laughed and held up her hands in defeat. "He's right, but I'm horrible at it, so I don't think I really count."

The playful argument continued between Charles and Will. They were both getting more and more animated. Beth smiled, leaning back in her chair. She couldn't help thinking how silly boys were. Out of the corner of her eye she caught Anna smirking, and realized they were having similar thoughts. Beth caught her eye, smiling wider, and Anna began laughing quietly. Beth couldn't help herself; she joined in too.

* * *

Beth woke with a start as the captain announced that they would be landing. She looked around, confused, until she remembered it was Thanksgiving break, and she was on her way home. She was strangely excited to be going back. She had been gone for three months, and she wanted to see everyone. She appreciated her family now that she no longer had to _live_ with them.

Feeling slightly groggy, she slowly shuffled off the plane. After waiting for what seemed like hours at the baggage carousel, she finally made it out to the lobby. Once she spotted Jane waiting, she forgot all her weariness and ran to greet her. After a myriad of hugging, and a few happy squeals, she settled down enough to really look at her. Jane had not changed in the slightest.

She got the scoop on what had been going on with the family on the half hour ride home from the Hertfordshire Airport.

"I'm really excited to be coming home, Jane. I didn't think I would ever feel that way, but I'm happy to see everyone."

"Yes, well, you've only been here for five minutes. You might feel differently once we actually get home."

Beth laughed. "You're probably right." Beth took a closer look at her sister as Jane drove. She knew her well enough to see that something was going on. Beth looked at her older sister quizzically. Jane's cheeks were flushed a light pink color, and she seemed just slightly agitated.

"Do you have any news for me, Jane?" Beth asked curiously.

She saw Jane sigh lightly and smile. "I should have known you'd be able to tell. I was going to wait until we were home to tell you this. It's really not _that_ important anyway..."

Beth edged forward to the front of the seat. "Now you've caught my interest."

Jane shrugged slightly. "Charles called me the other day," she said quietly.

Beth's mouth dropped open to form a small O. Her pulse was suddenly beating faster. "Oh Jane," she breathed. She didn't know what to think, and her sister wasn't giving her any clues about how to react. She sat facing forward, stonily driving. Beth didn't have to ask what day Charles had called; she could guess perfectly well that it had been the same day as their lunch.

"It's nothing, _really_. He just wanted to see how I was doing. It doesn't _mean_ anything. I'm sure he won't call again."

She didn't believe Jane's act of indifference. Charles suddenly calling, out of the blue, was a _very_ big deal. Beth wisely said nothing. Jane's eyes were on her. After a moment she shrugged, nonchalantly. Beth knew her sister would share more information when she was ready. For the moment, she apparently wanted to play everything down.

"That's nice of him. Maybe you two can start being friends again."

Jane chewed on the corner of her lip, but said nothing. After a small eternity passed, Beth caught the corners of Jane's mouth tilting upward into a tiny smile.

"Maybe."

* * *

Fanny jumped on Beth as soon as she entered the house. "Oh, Beth! Oh, my sweet little daughter! You're finally home!"

Beth could only gurgle a little as she was smothered in hugs and kisses. "And did you bring your new boyfriend?" she asked hopefully, looking around. Her gaze settled on Beth's suitcase as though she thought he might be hiding in there.

"Mom, I told you on the phone; I don't have a boyfriend."

Fanny narrowed her eyes. "O_h_," she said, flatly. "I thought that might have changed."

"In the last two days since we talked?" Beth asked in disbelief.

"You never know. Lord knows it's been long enough since you've dated anyone."

"Beth is much too practical to fall for any old schlum," Thomas said, walking into the crowded foyer from his study. "I'm sure when she does bring someone home he will be an exceptional young man: a genius rocket scientist."

"Hi, Dad," Beth said happily, walking over to give him a hug. "Rocket scientist, huh?" she asked, smiling. "I'll have to work on finding one of _those_."

Thomas laughed, but was cut off from saying anything else when Fanny _s_creamed upstairs. "**Lydia! It's time for dinner!"**

"**I'm not hungry**_!"_ Lydia shouted back.

"**You get down here this **_**instant**_!" Fanny yelled back, even louder if possible. "I don't know what's wrong with this girl. All she does is sleep. " Fanny muttered to herself.

Lydia appeared at the top of the stairs. "**I told you, **_**I'm not hungry**_**!"**

"**You'll get one of your headaches if you don't have dinner. And your sister is here!"**

Lydia grudgingly came down into the foyer, and Beth tried to hide her surprise. Lydia had never been overweight, but she had never been particularly skinny either. Her weight loss was noticeable. Her jaw was more defined, her wrists were slender. Beth would have bet that Lydia could have shared clothes with Caroline, she was that small. She felt tiny as she came forward to give Beth a hug.

Beth wondered at the change that had come over her sister. "You've lost weight," she said.

Lydia smiled happily. "I know, right?" Up close, Beth could see she had a slightly feverish look about her. "You can bet I'm not going to eat whatever mom's made," she mumbled, so that only Beth heard her. She sniffed, using the balled-up tissue in her hand to wipe her nose. "God, this runny nose is driving me nuts. It's like non-stop snot."

Beth realized Lydia was changing the subject and frowned, but Jane distracted her, handing a pile of plates to set the table. Beth made a mental note to worry about Lydia later.

Thanksgiving dinner was uneventful, and after a few days at home filled mostly with yelling and laundry, Beth was relieved to go back to school.

She'd tried once more to have a conversation with Jane about Charles before she left, but again, her sister had said very little. Jane quickly brushed the subject off. Beth did notice, however, that her sister kept her phone with her at all times. The high frequency at which she sent and received texts was also not lost on Beth. She had the sneaking suspicion that the person on the receiving end was none other than Charles Bingley.

Beth could only wait until Jane felt comfortable enough to share with her.

After saying goodbye to everyone, sans Lydia, (she was asleep in her room), Beth found herself, with a curious sense of déjà vu, once again drifting off to sleep slumped against the airplane seat's armrest.

* * *

Beth was anxious at work, although she wouldn't let herself think about why that might be so. She was sorting the day's mail into the mailboxes when Will strolled in. She looked up and smiled, giving him a wave, but he only gave a small nod in response. The corners of his mouth didn't come close to forming even the slightest smile. Instead, he walked right past her into one of the offices, shutting the door behind him a minute later.

She didn't know what to think; she was almost hurt by his behavior. Whatever she'd done, he'd never _ignored_ her before, not even when she'd hated his guts and treated him badly. She finished with the mail, sliding the letters into the slots with perhaps a bit more force than was necessary, and sat back down at her desk. She opened a book, but could only pretend to look at the pages. She wondered what they were talking about in the office.

About half an hour later, the door opened again and Will came out, but Beth stared at her book. Even when he came over to talk, she continued to look at the words. If he was going to ignore her, then she was going to do the same thing.

"Are you busy?" he asked, curiously.

Beth pursed her lips. "Not really. Did you need something?" she asked, keeping her voice cool.

Will blinked, looking taken aback by her demeanor. "Well, no." He gave her an odd look, and then comprehension dawned on his face. "I kind of blew you off earlier, didn't I. I'm sorry," he said sincerely.

Beth couldn't stay mad. She smiled. "Yeah, you seemed a little pre-occupied."

"I have a lot on my mind," he said tiredly, rubbing his temple.

She felt bad; he _did _look tired. "Bad thanksgiving?"

He smiled lightly. "No, it was good; just Anna and me. It's…I got an offer for an internship in the New York office of the company."

She looked up, amazed. "Wow, Will, that's so great!"

He didn't look very excited. "Yeah, I know. If I take it, I'll be gone for all of winter term," he said quietly, and looked at Beth to gauge her reaction.

She furrowed her brow, no longer happy. He was going to be gone for January _and_ February. That was so much time. "O_h_. Well…that's still good, for you, of course," she finished absently. She realized that they had both stopped moving and were simply looking at each other. She forced herself to look away, and she absently shuffled some of the papers on her desk. Suddenly, the prospects for the rest of the year did not look as bright.

He looked down at his hands. "I know that I have to take the internship; it's an incredible opportunity. I can't join the company as some kid fresh out of college with no experience, even if we do own it, but I don't want to leave…here."

Pace humming happily, Beth couldn't decide if 'here' had been his original word choice. "But you're only a junior; don't they usually offer that kind of stuff to seniors?"

"It depends; but this is kind of a one shot deal."

"Oh, so…"

"So I have to do it," he finished, unhappily.

Though they were only a few feet apart, Beth suddenly felt like there were miles and miles of distance already between them.

"I guess, um, congratulations. I mean, it's an honor, right?" she asked, her tone bleak.

He nodded and said just as bleakly, "Right."

She suddenly flipped her textbook shut, and it closed with a resounding snap. She felt like some kind of line had been drawn. They both stared at the book for a minute, something building in the silence between them.

Will's adviser stepped out of his office and interrupted. "Will, I have that information for you."

Will met her eyes briefly and gave Beth a small smile. "See you later." He got up and followed the professor into his office, and Beth watched him go, not knowing what to think.

She stared blankly at the desk, trying to digest the new information. She had three more weeks and then he was gone. She wondered why she was so torn up about it; somehow it seemed like the worst news she had ever heard.

* * *

The time passed quickly. She found herself smack dab in the middle of the horrible, grueling, sadistic, and stressful period of time known as 'finals week'. She was extremely glad she had starting preparing for her finals weeks before. It kept her from turning into a mindless, finals-taking zombie, and ensured that she did well on all of them. She was also happy for the last minute studying she was able to do during her work hours. The economic professors were nice, too, and didn't bring her any papers to copy.

She gave up studying when Will entered the office though; he was too much of a distraction. She smiled and brought up a rumor she had heard.

"What's this I hear about your going away party?" she asked, in mock accusation.

He grinned, dimples showing mischievously. "Yes. My fraternity is throwing the party. Interestingly, it's going to be held in the same house as the _other_ one."

Beth laughed. "Ah, memories…Well, no, I actually _don't_ remember a lot of it."

It was his turn to laugh. A minute later, still smiling lightly, he turned to her with a look she couldn't read.

"It starts at 8:30, but…" he took a deep breath. "I'm having a sort of friends and family dinner before that. Cole, Charles, and Anna are coming…would you like to come?"

Beth had to fight the huge grin that threatened to break across her face. She managed a slight smile. "Yeah. I'd love to," she said, looking up to meet his gaze.

He smiled brightly. "It's a date then. I'll pick you up at 5:00 in your lobby, is that okay?"

She nodded, and he continued quickly, looking at his watch. "Great. I have a meeting, so I have to go." He started to walk away, but then turned back. "Oh, and we're going somewhere nice, so…"

"Dress up?" she asked.

He nodded, and with a slight wave, walked quickly off.

"'Bye," she said to his quickly retreating back, wondering why she suddenly felt like skipping to her dorm.

* * *

"Dress pants, or a skirt?" she asked, holding each up for Marianne, as her roommate lay on her bed glancing through a magazine.

"What's the occasion?"

Beth looked down, shyly playing with the pant button. "I'm going to dinner with Will and his sister."

Marianne put down the magazine and smiled mischievously. "Ah-_ha_! This explains the way you've been acting ever since you came back from work."

Beth turned, looked in the mirror, and held up her perspective outfits. "I don't know _what_ you're talking about."

Marianne threw back her head and laughed. "P_lease_. You've been positively giddy since you've been back." She sighed. "You've got good reason to be, so I forgive you. Wear the skirt."

Beth hung up the pants and then turned to Marianne. "And what does _that _mean? 'I have good reason to be'?"

Marianne rolled her eyes. "Are you being obtuse on purpose?"

Beth huffed indignantly, and Marianne quickly continued. "Obviously not." She sat up from the bed. "Okay. You're going to the party after dinner, _right_? And this is the last night you're going to see each other for, like, three months, _right_?"

Beth nodded and started to put on the skirt so she wouldn't have to meet Marianne's gaze.

"Don't you think it's _possible_ that he _might_ make a move?" Marianne continued. "It's now or never, right? If I were him, tonight would be the night." She turned nonchalantly back to her magazine, and Beth went to look at herself in the mirror.

Was Marianne right? Had she been running everywhere with butterflies in her stomach because she thought Will was going to…did she want him to…?

Marianne interrupted Beth's self-questionnaire before she could answer herself. "Do you want me to do your make-up?"

Beth smiled and met Marianne's gaze in the mirror. "I'd love that."

Beth eyed her finished self in the mirror. "Marianne, I don't know about this."

"Oh, shut up. Don't smudge your lip-gloss. I'm putting it in your purse just in case it does somehow, in some magical way, manage to get smudged off…or _licked_…"

"Marianne!" Beth turned to give her a deathly stare.

Marianne laughed and held up her hands in defeat. "Sorry. I'm sorry, okay? I couldn't resist. I'll stop."

Beth turned back to look in the mirror again. Marianne had given her dark, smoky eyes.

"All right, you sexy beast, it's picture time," Marianne said, snapping a quick picture.

"Marianne, I don't know…" she said again.

Marianne sighed and took her shoulders. "Beth, you look _amazing,_ and it's too late to change it now anyway; it's 5:00."

Beth whipped her head around to look at the clock. "Shit! I'm late, and you _know_ he's gong to be right on time. "

"Here's your coat; don't forget your purse!" Marianne called helpfully, as Beth rushed out the door and down three flights of stairs to the lobby. She could see Will walking around, hands in pockets, looking at the pictures on the wall. She was glad she wore the skirt; Will was wearing a blazer, and she would have felt under dressed in pants.

He turned to look at who was coming down the steps. Beth saw him blink.

"I'm _so_ sorry I'm late. I lost track of the time."

She saw him shake himself slightly. "Wow…you look…" he swallowed. "You look really nice," he finished quietly.

Beth, already flushed from her run down the stairs, blushed more under his gaze and couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes. She finally let her eyes travel up, and they settled somewhere around the hollow of his throat. He looked _great._

"Thank you," she said just as quietly. She felt her heart beating rapidly in her throat as the moments afterward passed in silence.

Seeming to gain some control of the situation, or over himself, Will offered her out to the door. "Let's go."

They picked up Cole on the walk out to the parking lot. They were going to a restaurant in town, and it was a little too far for walking. Cole was waiting outside by the front door of her dorm, trying to tie his tie. He let out a wolf whistle as they approached.

Will lifted an eyebrow. "I'm going to assume that wasn't for me."

Cole looked very serious. "Will, you need to stop being so modest. Who could resist you? You're so sexy."

Will laughed heartily. Beth was surprised at the exchange, but then decided it stemmed from the fact that Will and Cole used to be roommates. She looked with pity on Cole, who was _still_ struggling with the tie.

"Here. Let me help you with that," she offered. Flipping his color up, and laying the tie straight, she quickly tied his tie.

"Well, look at _you_, Beth. How domestic you are."

She snorted. "_Right_."

Cole looked down with a roguish gleam in his eyes, but his tone was still serious. "Beth, do _you_ think Will looks sexy tonight?"

Narrowing her eyes, she looked up to give him her worst glare. She knew he was trying to embarrass her on purpose. "Definitely," she answered, keeping her tone light. She glanced over her shoulder. "If Caroline could only see you, I think she might have a heart attack."

She laughed as Will shuddered, glad that the slightly awkward moment had passed. Turning back to Cole, she tightened his tie mercilessly. Looking up as he choked, she batted her eyelashes. "_I'm_ sorry. Was that too tight?" she asked in mock innocence.

"Just a tad," he croaked rubbing his neck.

Will looked down at his watch. "Now that you're finally dressed, Cole, we should probably get going. I don't want to be late to my own dinner."

Cole nodded. "Lead the way, Mr. Punctual."

Beth was glad Cole rode with them. She imagined it would have been rather tense in the car without him. Beth tuned out from the conversation for a minute to just look at the _car_; she had never been in a BMW before.

Will caught her shaking her head. "What, you don't like my car?"

She turned to him in amazement. "Are you _kidding_? Will, you drive a _beeme_r. A BMW! I don't even have a car here. I'm _so_ incredibly jealous, you have no idea."

He laughed. "I had no idea you felt so strongly. I'll let you drive it sometime," he offered generously.

She looked down sadly as he shifted gears like a pro. "I don't know how to drive stick," she said, forlornly.

Will nodded seriously. "That would present a problem."

Cole was incredulous. "Beth, I cannot believe you do not know how to drive stick. Tomorrow, I'm going to teach you."

"What, before we go home? Today was the last day of school before break. I think I'd rather wait," she said, as they parked, and walked to the restaurant.

"No, no. You'll see; it's easy, and you'll learn fast. It's all about coordination."

Beth rolled her eyes. "G_reat_. I think _that's _the reason no one ever taught me; they know it's hopeless." She was glad Marianne had thrown her her warm coat; the walk through the parking lot was downright _chilly._ She rubbed her hands together, trying to get them warm, as the maitre 'd led them to their private dinning room.

"I believe the rest of your party is already here," he said, as he ushered them to the door.

Beth turned to smile at Will. "So much for not being late, huh?" she asked, and as she looked over her shoulder at him, she promptly ran into Anna, who was exiting.

She greeted Anna with a brief hug; Anna gladly reciprocated.

"It's nice to see you again," she said, happily, as they entered the room.

Beth quickly looked around and greeted the others. "Charles, it's great to see you too. _Caroline_…hello. It's been quite a while, hasn't it?" It looked as though Caroline was going to get a chance to see Will looking his best after all.

Beth had to work hard to keep her expression from turning to horror at what Caroline was wearing_._ Her dress, no doubt a priceless one of a kind by Versace, was bright turquoise blue, with sparkles and fringe. She clashed horrendously with the tasteful, _conservative _décor of the restaurant. Beth tried not to laugh at the sour expression written all over Caroline's face.

"Beth," she said, unenthusiastically. "I had no idea you were coming. What a surprise."

Beth had to look away to keep from bursting out into laughter. Unfortunately, her gaze fell on Will. He looked like a deer caught in headlights. Beth could guess that he had been unaware that Caroline was coming as well.

Caroline eyed her evilly as Beth took a seat at the end of the table across from Will. Charles sat next to her, Anna sat across the table from him, next to her brother, and Cole sat next to Anna. Caroline had to sit across from Cole, and was as far from Will as possible. She was obviously upset about the seating arrangement.

Beth could feel her eyes burning a hole in her chest. Caroline watched like a hawk and snatched up every bit of conversation that passed between her and Anna and Will, often interrupting or cutting her off. Pretending to wipe her mouth with a napkin, Beth used the chance to mutter under her breath, "I guess I'm not allowed to talk tonight."

Charles abruptly covered his mouth with _his_ napkin, trying, and failing, to hide his laughter.

Caroline leaned over him to look down the table. "_What_ is so funny, Charles?" she asked, scathingly. He merely shook his head and pretended to cough to hide the chuckles. "Nothing."

Beth looked across the table and smiled at Will.

* * *

Down the table, Caroline narrowed her eyes. If this dinner was a friends and family only affair, it made no sense to her that Beth would be in attendance. It wasn't possible that Beth and Will were friends. Caroline wouldn't waste time on the thought that they were dating; that was even more preposterous. She decided it was all an unfortunate coincidence. Maybe Will hadn't been able to think of way to get rid of Beth...

Caroline angrily stabbed at the lettuce in her salad and looked as Will smiled and laughed with Beth and Charles down the table. Even Anna was joining in. Caroline felt she was losing control of the situation. She had to do something to put Beth in her place. Eyes glinting meanly, she turned to smile at Beth.

"Elizabeth?" she asked in mock sweetness. "How's your dear family? Is Lydia still running around with all those boys like a chicken with its head cut off?" Caroline asked, laughing in an attempt to make it sound like a joke.

Beth turned to her with raised eyebrows and after a pause said "No, I don't think so."

Apparently this answer wasn't enough to satisfy Caroline's curiosity. "Lydia and I had the most _interesting_ conversation that night my parents hosted the barbeque. We were both waiting in line for the bathroom and got to chatting. She told me all about the man she was interested in." Caroline snapped her fingers. "What was his name…_Oh_, I know. Jamie Wickham." She smiled smugly. "He sounded so…charming."

Beth felt her mouth drop open and forced herself to close it. She watched as every head at the table whipped around to look at her. She saw Anna throw a quick look to Will and then bow her head, playing absently with her food. Beth didn't need to glance at Will to see where he was looking; she could feel his gaze.

Widening her eyes in surprise at Caroline's audacity, she coughed lightly before answering. She could hardly believe that Caroline would stoop to talk to someone like Lydia, even if it had been at her parent's barbeque. The two of them together seemed like a very strange combination of people to Beth.

"I wasn't aware of that. I certainly hope it isn't true. Sometimes Lydia runs away with herself; she probably wasn't serious."

"Oh, really?"

She looked at Caroline in amazement; Caroline had no idea what she was doing by bringing this subject up. "Jamie wouldn't be a very good influence for her. I'm sure Lydia realized that." Beth wished she could believe what she was saying, but she was only saying it to shut Caroline up. The wheels had begun to spin in her head.

Beth had often been forced to take Lydia along to Carla's parties. Carla certainly wasn't the only person in that group of friends to throw get togethers. What if Lydia had made friends with some of them? What if she'd gone to parties and met Jamie? What if… Beth didn't want to think about all the possibilities.

"Hmm," was all Caroline responded. She gave a mean little smirk and turned back to her plate. The extremely tense moment passed as everyone turned back to their earlier conversations. Anna was still visibly upset by the conversation. Beth doubted she would say much more for the rest of the night. Beth allowed herself to look up at Will, and he gave her a soft smile that she couldn't help returning, her concerns for Lydia momentarily forgotten.

* * *

Caroline stared angrily at her reflection in the mirror in the bathroom. Her plan was _not_ working; she was not making a fool of Beth. Will was giving Beth just as much attention as before, if not more. Grabbing some lipstick from her purse, she began to reapply.

She was extremely angry that her night with William had been ruined. She turned to Anna, who was calmly washing her hands.

"Anna, dear, what do you think of Beth?"

Anna smiled. "I like her very much. She's nice. She makes me laugh, and Will and Charles, too. I've never seen Will let anyone tease him that much."

"Pish-posh, anyone can be a _clown_. I think she's awful. The way she dresses, and her hair… I don't know what _anyone_ sees in her."

"Caroline," Anna interrupted, disapprovingly. "Don't."

Anna left the bathroom, and Caroline stood frozen to the spot.

She couldn't understand, would _never_ understand, what the Darcys saw in Elizabeth Bennet.

* * *

Beth pulled her coat tighter about her in an attempt to stay warm as she, Cole, and Will walked back to the car in the frigid December air. Will had invited everyone to his going away party. Caroline had turned up her nose when she learned it was being hosted by his fraternity, but couldn't refuse; Charles was her ride. Beth learned that Cole would be part of the band providing the music. She smiled warmly and clapped her hands as they drove out of the parking lot.

"Cole! That's so exciting. I can't wait! Are you going to sing too?"

He managed a small smile. "No, not tonight. I don't think anyone wants to hear me sing beside you, Beth. Will, I meant to ask you something earlier. Where are you going to live in New York? Is it all settled already?"

Will nodded. "Yeah, for the most part it's settled. I'm renting an apartment for a couple months. My aunt found it for me. I think she knows the owner. The only problem is that I _know_ she's going to come visit me now." Will laughed as they pulled into the gravel driveway of the frat house. There were a few cars parked along the road, but the house still looked pretty empty.

"I don't think I've ever been this on time in my _life_," Beth said happily, as they walked inside. Cole left them as they entered the house to go warm up; the bass player and the drummer were already doing so. She wasn't surprised that Charles, Caroline, and Anna hadn't arrived yet; Will drove _very_ fast.

Beth excused herself to go to the bathroom before the crowd showed up. While washing her hands, she inspected her make-up. Her lips needed a touch-up, but the rest was fine. She rummaged through her purse for the lip-gloss and noticed her phone was blinking; indicating silently that she had missed a call. Flipping it open, she saw that she had missed Jane's call_. _

She thought it was very odd that Jane had called as they had spoken already earlier in the day. She brushed her slight feeling of unease away and decided to call Jane back later_. _She hoped it was nothing as she gathered her hair up into a high ponytail.

She was amazed by the change in the room. In the four minutes she'd spent in the bathroom, it seemed that 15 people had arrived. She spotted Willoughby with surprise, and looked around for Marianne, but with a wave of dismay, realized he wasn't with Marianne, but _another _girl. She watched them for a few minutes.

She didn't want to jump to conclusions,_ but_ then Willoughby put his arm around the girl and then pulled her up for a deep kiss. She felt sick; she didn't know how she could tell Marianne her boyfriend was cheating on her. It was horrible. Shaking the feeling off, she looked over as someone walked up to the microphone; she would just have to worry about it later.

"Hey, everybody, I think we're going to start," the boy said. "I just want to start off by saying congratulations to Will. Good luck with your internship, dude, we'll miss you."

After the collective sigh of 'aww and ooo' the band began. Beth, expecting to hear some kind of rock, was amazed when she recognized the song as jazzy swing. Looking around, she saw that many of the people were dressed to fit that part. It looked like a big-band dance. Will was standing a few feet away with Caroline. She had him in a death grip, and he obviously wanted to get away. Beth laughed and beckoned him over.

He excused himself and rushed over. "Thank you so much. I couldn't get away."

"I was happy to save you from your near death experience. Caroline was looking pretty frisky. You didn't tell me this was going to be a swing party."

He nodded happily. "That was what was originally scheduled for tonight, but then the frat wanted to throw me a goodbye party, so we just combined the two. They were offering a swing class at the local YMCA, and I think a lot of people wanted to try out what they learned."

"Well, if I had _known_, I would have worn my saddle shoes," she sighed, in mock disappointment.

He laughed. "Don't let that stop you. Dance with me." Without waiting for a yea or nay from her, he spun her out on the dance floor. Beth was laughing so hard she couldn't catch her breath.

"How do _you_ know how to do this?" she finally managed to get out in between her giggles; he was maneuvering her around like a master.  
"Actually, it's basically the only dancing I _can_ do, so you're lucky." Chuckling, he pointed out his sister. "Look at Anna." It didn't take Beth long to find her; she was by far the best dancer.

"She took lessons one year, and when she came home from them she would make me practice with her for _hours_," he said, ruefully, obviously mourning the lost time. "She wanted to be the best…" he dipped her mid-sentence, and she laughed. Beth noticed again, with surprise, how green his eyes were as he looked down at her, before she let her head drop back to complete the dip. As if on cue, the band switched to a _much_ slower song.

Pulling her up gently, he asked quietly if she wanted to dance. Unable to form a sentence, Beth simply nodded. Whatever was going to happen was happening right _now._ Her pulse beat wildly as he pulled her closer.

He let his hand rest on the small of her back, and she put one hand on his shoulder before placing her other into his hand. Beth had to resist the urge to rest her head on his chest; she felt overwhelmed by him.

She looked up and swallowed hard, involuntarily. He was looking down at her, eyes on her mouth, and Beth couldn't help flushing. They were almost at a stand-still, hardly moving to the music at all. And they were getting _closer_. Will's arm tightened around her, and she was certain he was about to kiss her. His expression was exactly the same as it had been at Carla's.

With a jolt, she jumped, pulling away from him; something on her hip was _buzzing_…

He looked down in confusion. "What's wrong?"

She took her phone off her hip, feeling like a total idiot. "My phone was on vibrate, and someone just called. It scared me." She looked down at the caller ID. "It's _Jane_," she said, in surprise, and then she frowned. "I'm so sorry Will, but she's been trying to reach me all night…" she explained, apologetically.

"Oh, answer it."

She held up a finger. "I will be _right_ back. I promise. This will take two seconds."

She headed off the dance floor and flipped it open. "This had better be really good," she said angrily, grabbing her coat and going outside, away from the noise. "I mean really, _really_ good."

"Beth," Jane said miserably. "I've been trying to get a hold of you.

"You sound weird, Jane. Are you all right?" she asked, starting to feel alarmed, her anger dropping away.

"_I'm_ fine, but…"

"_What?_ What's wrong?_"_

"It's Lydia. She's in the hospital; she—she OD'd."


	14. Most unexpected and serious

_Shine_

By Luna

Chapter 14: Most unexpected and serious

* * *

Will watched as Beth made her way off the floor, through the crowd, and out the door. He took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair, and then he left the floor as well. He caught Cole's eye as he passed the band, and they switched to a faster paced song. Cole smiled and waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Will could only shake his head slightly and smile back. He'd _thought_ the abrupt change to the slow song earlier had been on purpose; now he was sure. Cole was up to something. And it had almost worked.

Caroline scuttled over the moment she saw him walk off the dance floor. She'd been closely watching for a moment when he wasn't with Beth. She linked her arm with his, possessively.

"I never knew you were such a good _dancer_. How rude of Beth to leave you," she insinuated, and missing the expression of tired patience on his face, she continued.

She was trying to convince herself that Will was not attracted to Beth, but it was becoming harder and harder to do so. "Do you remember last year? We were all in New York for Christmas, finally away from that Hell-hole town in Maryland. We went to that restaurant opening, and the paparazzi were simply _everywhere_," she said, and her eyes were glowing with the memory.

She realized then that Will hadn't heard a word she'd said. His head was turned toward the door that Beth had walked through. Something in her chest tightened painfully.

"Will," Caroline said suddenly. It had an oddly vulnerable sound to it, which caught his attention. He turned to look at her in surprise. "She's not right for you. Out of all the people you could've--" Caroline cut herself off. Without her usual expression of haughtiness, her face looked much younger and prettier. "Why _her_, Will?" It was obvious that what Caroline really wanted to say was 'Why not _me_?'

Will had never seen Caroline be anything but conniving and cruel, and so this look of real honesty and almost pain caught him off guard enough to respond.

"Beth isn't like anyone else, Caroline. I'm--happy when I'm around her."

A bitter smile played across Caroline's mouth. After a pause, she said, "You'd better go out and get her then."

With such a sentence coming from such a source, Will didn't need to be told twice. He nodded, gave Caroline's shoulder a gentle squeeze, and walked toward the door.

_

* * *

At the same time..._

"_What?_ What's wrong?_"_

"It's Lydia. She's in the hospital; she—she OD'd."

Beth felt as though someone had just punched her in the stomach; it was suddenly hard to get enough air. She quickly sat down on the step.

"Someone found her in the bathroom at a party. She'd collapsed from too much cocaine," Jane was continuing, though Beth could hardly make herself listen.

"_No_." Beth felt hot tears spill out of her eyes. "Is she going to be okay?" Beth barely whispered it. She didn't know what she would do if Jane said no.

"She's okay now. They got her to the hospital in time. They gave her something…diazepam, maybe. We're all just in shock. Mom and dad don't know what to do. None of us do." Jane's voice was shaky as she spoke.

Beth felt a tiny wave of relief at the thought that Lydia wasn't dead, but it was only the topmost of the swirling tornado of emotions she was feeling. Beth rubbed her forehead with a shaky hand, trying to steady her breathing.

"I've never seen dad so angry. He was so worried, but now that she's okay he's—he's furious. We don't even know how she got into it. Who would sell drugs to a sixteen year old?"

Beth froze, staring at the sidewalk before her without seeing it. Instead she was seeing a man with sandy blond hair and wickedly tilted brown eyes. She knew _exactly_ who would do such a terrible thing.

"It was Jamie Wickham," she said seriously, and then she laughed bitterly. "It was Jamie."

"What? How do you know? Did Lydia tell you something?" Jane asked frantically.

"No, Caroline did."

"_What?" _

Beth couldn't blame Jane for sounding completely confused. She wasn't doing a very good job of explaining herself, however, everything had clicked into place in her head. _That_ was what Caroline had been talking about at dinner. She had seen Lydia doing the drugs at the barbeque that summer; _hell,_ maybe she had even been doing them with her and had asked who her dealer was.

Beth shook her head, feeling sick. "Never mind how I know; I just do. It was Jamie. What does it matter, anyway? The damage is already done. What are they going to do with Lydia?"

"She has to stay in the hospital for a few days, and then I'm sure dad will want to put her in some kind of rehab facility. I—I don't know how to deal with all of this. You're coming home tomorrow, right?" Jane asked desperately.

"I already have tickets for the earliest flight."

"Good. I need you here."

Beth could hear indistinct noises in the background, and Jane responded distractedly to whoever was talking. "I've got to go, Beth. I just wanted you to know what was going on."

Beth sighed heavily. "Okay. Call me if anything happens, and I mean _anything_." Jane promised she would and then hung up.

Beth looked down at her hands in confusion; they were smudged with black streaks.  
She remembered that Marianne had done her make-up, what seemed like years ago, and now she had ruined it by crying. Somehow, this on top of everything else was just too much; she began to cry again.

"Get a _grip_," she said to herself, angrily, and reached into her coat pocket. She was extremely grateful to find some tissues. She quickly wiped away what was left of her eye make-up.

Beth was suddenly aware of the music again. She hadn't noticed it while talking to Jane. She sighed with dismay as she thought of the party. She did _not_ want to go back in. She didn't think she could face all the happy people dancing and laughing inside.

She was hardly in the mood see anyone, let alone explain why she had been outside for so long. She formed a plan quickly. She would go back to her room, pack, and then go to bed early if she could. She had a very early plane to catch. She stood up and slowly started up the walk to the door. She had to say goodbye to everyone.

However, the door opened and Will stepped out before she reached it. With a swift intake of air she did an abrupt about-face, briefly closing her eyes. She was an emotional wreck, and one of the last people she wanted to see her that way was Will.

With a groan of dismay she slowly turned back around. She would have to face him sometime, and it was better outside than in. Squaring her shoulders, she tried to calm her breathing. She hoped he wasn't perceptive enough to notice she'd been crying. Maybe the night was too dark for him to see..._  
_  
Will was about to say something, but changed his mind once he actually got a good look at her. "What's wrong?" his voice was filled with alarm.  
She sighed with something like amusement. So much for Will not noticing.

She spoke softly in an attempt to keep her voice from breaking. "I'm fine."

He closed the distance between them and gently grabbed her shoulders. She had to look away from his searching gaze. "_Beth_. You aren't fine. What's wrong?"

Beth took a deep shaky breath and tried to explain. "I'm okay. It's…my sister...she's…" It was no use. Her voice broke, and she couldn't blink the tears away. She bowed her head; she didn't want him to see her cry.

Will stood awkwardly for a few moments, not knowing what to do. Before he could decide she straightened up and laughed slightly at herself. "God, I'm a mess." She shook her head and cleared her throat. "I'm sorry. You probably think I'm crazy."

"No, of course not. I just want to help you. You should sit down."

She shook her head again. "I'm _fine_." But she allowed him to guide her to the steps to sit down. He waited patiently for her to start.

She sighed. "Lydia's in the hospital. She was at a party and she overdosed on coke."

She watched Will's expectant face drop into a frown. He ran a finger over his top lip. She couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"She's going to be okay, but…" Beth trailed off. "I feel so—I had _no_ idea. Absolutely no idea. I've been away here at school, but I didn't even know it was going on. How could this happen?"

Will looked as though he understood only far too well what she meant. It was a sad look of understanding that passed between them. Beth found herself continuing, even though he hadn't asked for any more information. She couldn't seem to stop. "I knew Lydia liked to party, but _this_? Almost dying?" Beth shook her head in helpless bafflement.

Will placed one of his hands over hers. "At least she's okay," he said quietly. "Are you sending her to rehab?"

Beth raised both hands in the air in a helpless gesture. "I have no idea. I have absolutely no—I just don't know." She sighed heavily. "I'm sure my parents will make her go but—"

She stood up to pace in agitation. A sudden wave of fury had run through her. "She was getting it from _Jamie_!" The sentence finally burst from Beth.

Will looked at her speechlessly, and then he closed his eyes for a moment. "Wickham?"

Beth nodded, steamrolling on. "I could _shoot_ myself. I _knew_ what he was and what he was capable of. I _knew_! _You_ told me. If I had only told someone…Lydia or my father even, none of this would have happened." Beth exhaled violently. She hadn't known she had so much anger inside of her.

Will stood up quickly and walked over to where Beth was standing. "You can't blame yourself. This isn't your fault."

Beth clenched her jaw. "No, no it is—"

Will cut her off as he reached forward and grabbed her shoulders gently. "Listen to me; it's _not _your fault."

She was still attempting to tell him it was, and he shook her slightly for emphasis. "There are just some people who get sucked into that world. Lydia would have done this whether you'd been there or not. If not now, some other time in her life in some other situation. It's _her_ fault; or maybe it's _his_ for taking advantage of her, but it's not yours, Beth."

It was her name that finally got Beth to stop protesting and listen to Will. She couldn't ever remember hearing him say it like that, so earnestly. He was looking down at her seriously, trying desperately to help.

"If you try to blame yourself, it'll just eat away at you. Take it from someone who knows." He sighed after he said it, and a frown marred his features.

Beth had never heard him talk about what had happened with Anna; she had only read the letter. She could imagine perfectly now how much pain his sister's situation had caused him. She felt terrible for making him relive it tonight.

She blinked slowly and finally nodded. "You're right. Of course you are; I should have listened. I'm just…" Beth trailed off. She didn't know what she was feeling.

They both seemed to realize at the same moment that Will was still holding onto her shoulders. He hastily dropped his hands, shoving them into his coat pockets.

Will broke the silence that had descended on them. "I'm sorry; you haven't had any time to deal with this. I'm sure you just want to be alone or talking with your family. I can't believe I'm still standing here. I'm sure I'm not helping anything." He went on before she could reply that she hadn't minded his company in the slightest. "You're probably not coming back inside, right?"

She nodded. "I think it's best if I just go back to my room. I can't deal with all those people right now."

"I'll drive you back," he offered quietly.

Beth wanted to protest, but it seemed clear that he was determined. She found herself following him instinctively, grateful that someone else was taking control of her situation. She was suddenly so tired.

The ride back to campus was quiet and oddly tense. There was something growing in the air between them, but Will no longer seemed inclined to talk and Beth was too emotionally exhausted to try to break the silence. She thought he might've just dropped her off in the parking lot, but he got out and walked her to the doors to her dorm. They stopped just before the steps that led to the doors.

The night air was crisp and very cold. Beth's breath formed a white cloud when she exhaled and she rubbed her hands together to keep warm. The sidewalk and leaves glittered with frost.

"Thank you for the ride. And dinner," Beth added on hastily. In light of the recent events, she had almost forgotten about what happened earlier in the night all together. "You didn't have to take the trouble—"

"It was nothing," he said, cutting off whatever she had been about to add. "I'm just sorry about Lydia."

Beth nodded, backing up onto one of the stair steps. "Me too," she said quietly. "But you shouldn't have left your party just for me…"

Will waved her off again and looked down at his feet briefly. "Don't worry about it; you're more important than that stupid party." His eyes were suddenly on her again, and he didn't look away.

Beth inhaled sharply after he said it, and the moment of silence dragged on between them. With a pang, she suddenly remembered just where they had left off on the dance floor. It was the obvious time for a goodbye hug or kiss; but instead they simply stood there, looking at each other. Will's jaw was tight.

Just when Beth thought that she couldn't possibly take the silence and tension between them any longer, Will finally took the step forward, bringing them as close as they could be without touching.

Beth was suddenly aware of her heart beating in the hollow of her throat, and she swallowed heavily. The step she was on brought her up enough so that she was almost at eye level with Will. It was strange to be eye to eye with him. She found herself searching his face, her eyes continually drawn down to his mouth.

The touch of his hand was light on her cheek. They were so close that she could feel their breath mingling.  
"Beth…" He said it so quietly and his voice was so low that she wasn't quite sure she'd heard it, but all thoughts were pushed from her mind as he leaned in. She grabbed the lapels of his coat, leading him forward, and his mouth touched hers.

With a loud bang, the door to Beth's dormitory slammed shut, causing Beth to jump wildly and break away from Will. She turned her head to look at the door in surprise; she'd forgotten that _anything_ else existed in that last moment. Her heart was beating frantically in her throat.  
The girl looked up in concern as she lit her cigarette and smiled sheepishly, blowing a cloud of smoke up into the night. "_Whoops_, sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt."

Beth ignored her, and, letting out a breath she hadn't known she was holding, she took a slight step back, feeling extremely flustered. The moment was ruined. She certainly wasn't going to do anything when they had an audience. She had to look away from Will; she suddenly felt like she was going to cry again. If only all of it could have happened on some other night.

"Will…" To Beth's total and utter embarrassment, she actually did start crying again before she could say anything more. She hastily wiped the few tears away and then was suddenly overcome by a fit of the giggles.

When she chanced a look at Will, his eyes were as wide as she'd ever seen them, and she couldn't blame him in the least. The first time they'd kissed, she'd broken it off to have a yelling match with him, and now she had broken it off to cry. He had to think she was totally bonkers.

"Oh _god_, I have no idea what's wrong with me," Beth mumbled, still fighting off her giggles. She closed her eyes for a long moment, trying to regain control of herself. "I'm sorry," she finally said, quietly. "This is your last night, and I've just—just completely ruined everything about it."

She opened her eyes to see Will give a slight shrug, the corner of his mouth quirking up. "Not quite."

Beth wrung her hands and transferred her weight from one foot to the other, nervously. "I just don't know how to deal with everything about Lydia. I don't know what to do, or what…" Beth trailed off, looking at Will. She was suddenly breathing quickly. She didn't know what she wanted from_ him, _but she couldn't tell him that. She clenched her fists in frustration.

He seemed to understand anyway and looked down at the sidewalk for a few moments. When he looked back up, he seemed resigned. "It's okay; I understand. You should get some rest," he said slowly, his voice low.

Beth bit her lip, but she nodded. "Yeah, you're right. I—good luck in New York," she finished lamely.

He smiled lightly. "Thank you. Goodbye, Beth," he said after a moment.

"Goodbye, Will," she said quietly. She waited anxiously for something more to happen, but after a few seconds he only nodded his head at her before heading back in the direction of the parking lot.

Beth watched his broad shoulders get further and further away, a wave of panic welling inside of her. Why had she done that? What did it matter that they were both leaving in the morning? All of her rationale and practical thinking suddenly seemed worthless.

Will was gone from her life; he was gone. For the first time it was totally clear to her. She _had_ wanted him to make a move. She _had_ wanted him to hold her… to kiss her. But he was gone. Now that she could finally admit to herself that she wanted him, he was gone.

Why had she pushed him away? She looked back on their past. They'd had _so_ many chances. But she'd screwed it up. Why had it taken her so long to realize what she wanted? She knew when he came back in the beginning of March things would be different. There was no way he would still feel the same way in three months, especially not after the events of the night.

It was all over.

* * *

Marianne looked up in surprise as Beth walked into the room.

"What are you doing back so early? I thought you were going to the party?"

"I did. Now I'm back," she said simply. She couldn't talk about any of what had happened.

"How did it go?" Marianne asked excitedly, waggling her eyebrows.

Beth shook her head slightly, trying to keep her expression neutral. She couldn't think about the almost-kiss; it would drive her crazy. "Nothing happened."

"You're _kidding_ me! I was so—"

"Marianne," Beth interrupted, hating what she was about to do. She'd forgotten about Willoughby briefly during the time she had been dealing with the Lydia issue, but the sight of Marianne had brought it all back. She didn't want to tell her roommate the awful news, but she _had_ to do it. "I saw something tonight that I need to tell you about, and I need you to be serious."

"Ok-ay?" Marianne said laughing, drawing it out into a question.

Beth took a deep breath and then plunged in. "I saw Willoughby tonight. He was at the party. He was with another girl."

Marianne narrowed her eyes. "What are you talking about? He called and told me he was sick and couldn't go out tonight."

"He lied," she said simply. "He wasn't sick. I saw him dancing and—and kissing another girl…"

"Beth," Marianne breathed, looking wounded. "I'm sorry that things didn't work out between you and Will, but that's no reason for you to do this. I can't believe you would make something like this up," she finished, sounding very hurt and angry.

Beth stared at her, flabbergasted, her mouth actually hanging open in complete surprise. It had never crossed her mind that Marianne wouldn't believe her. She knew what she had seen. She'd thought that Marianne would take her word for it.

"Wh—what?" she managed to get out, her own anger quickly rising up. She had already dealt with so much. A whole wave of anger was waiting right below the surface.

"_No_, I don't believe you!" Marianne cried out angrily. "John loves me; he would never do that to me."

Beth knew that Marianne wasn't the right person to take all of her frustration out on, but her roommate was making it so difficult to resist. "Call him up then, and ask if I'm such a _liar_," she spat out. "But don't be surprised if he's too busy _partying_ to pick up his phone to talk to you."

Marianne glared and spoke through clenched teeth. "I don't have to call him. I trust him."

"Come _on_! That's total bullshit."

"I don't know what your problem is, Beth. You've never been supportive of my relationship with John. I'm beginning to think this is some kind of ploy to get me to break up with him, and go out with that stupid friend of yours."

Beth narrowed her eyes. "Now you're being ridiculous."

"No, _you_ are." She walked to the door. "I can't deal with you right now," Marianne said and walked out, slamming the door behind her.

With a yell of frustration, Beth grabbed the nearest pillow and threw it as hard as she could at the door. With a soft thud, it nailed the door squarely in the center and fell with a plop to the floor.

Breathing angrily, Beth walked over and threw open the closet door. She began to pack, shoving the clothing into her suitcase and muttering to herself. It was too much. On top of everything else she had to deal with, she was now in a fight with Marianne. Grabbing more clothes from her drawers, she shoved them into her suitcase as well.

She sank down on her bed, suddenly exhausted. It had been a very long and trying day. She had to fight the urge to cry again.

* * *

Will parked on the street across from the frat house where his goodbye party was being held, but after he turned the car off, he didn't immediately get out. The interior of the car was so quiet. He rubbed a hand across his forehead distractedly.

The night was certainly turning out differently than he had anticipated. He clenched a fist reflexively as his thoughts inevitably turned to Wickham. He hated Jamie so much. Will wanted nothing more than to punch his sorry face in. He wished, for the billionth time, that he had never met Wickham. The man lived to cause pain, it seemed.

He only wished there was something he could do for Beth. She'd been so distraught over the news. He didn't know how he could help; killing Jamie was the only thing he could thing of.

Will sighed. Talking about Jamie again—it'd brought back memories from his childhood, _none_ of which were particularly happy. He could still remember perfectly the day his father had sat him down to tell him that the Wickhams would be moving into the guest house.

Will had been ecstatic. Anna was too young to come along with him on any of his outside adventures, and so Jamie was welcomed with open arms into the family. The boys were the same age, Will being a few months older, and they hit it off immediately. They could usually be seen outside on the enormous grounds of the Darcy estate, running, racing, playing, and having a wonderful time together. Times were never as good as they were that first year.

Although he never would have admitted it, Will soon became jealous of Jamie. He was able to get his father's attention in a way Will was never able to do. Jamie also possessed the amazing ability to charm his way out of every punishment. Try as he might, Will could never successfully lie to his father. It always made him feel horrible. He usually ended up confessing, and as a result suffered through many more punishments than his equally guilty, if not guiltier, counterpart.

Will's mother had understood her son's personality perfectly. When she was alive, she had always been able to facilitate the relationship between her husband and son. After her death, their relationship slowly began to crumble. By the time Will was 16, it was already on very shaky foundation, and it would only get worse.

In that excruciatingly painful summer, Will grew a whopping seven inches and learned the truth about the relationship between his father and Jamie's mother. His father no longer seemed the towering omnipotent ruler of his childhood; Will was now at his eye level, if not a little taller.

After what seemed like thousands of fights, he gave up on his relationship with his father and refused to talk to anyone but Anna; a feat made quite simple by the fact that he and Jamie were both going to prep school, he didn't have to see his father nine months out of the year, and he could easily ignore Jamie at school. With the addition of Charles Bingley to the mixture, Will could honestly say that he was happy. Why did he need family when he had such a great best friend?

He always regretted that time before his father's death. He wished he had made some effort to make up with his father before he died, but how could he have known that his father would suffer a massive heart attack? Suddenly an orphan, Will had no idea what to do. He was completely lost.

Thankfully, his great-aunt Catherine took total control. She sent Anna and Will off to live with their mother's brother, Richard Fitzwilliam Sr., and his family until Will was old enough to take care of the estate. Unfortunately, this left the Wickhams no choice but to move out. Jamie was insulted and furious. He did not take well to being thrown out like the trash.

His revenge was quick and easy; he got into as many illegal activities as he could. He knew it would drive the straight-laced Will crazy. Will, whose world had just been toppled, was in no mood for games. He let Wickham's activities _accidentally_ slip to the headmaster. A little undignified, but he was only 17. He certainly had a lot of pent up emotions to deal with. Getting rid of Wickham had felt good, until, of course, it all came back to bite him on the ass.

In the car, Will shook his head. He didn't want to think about what happened with Anna. It still made him unimaginably furious. Thankfully, he and Rich and intervened before Anna could overdose or do irrevocable damage to her life, but it had been a close call. He sighed and rolled his shoulders, trying to get rid of the tension that had built up.

Anna had made a full recovery, and it was mostly due to the excellent rehab facility she had lived at for a year. The Anne Wentworth clinic was world renown. Even the Darcys had been lucky to get Anna in; the clinic was selective about the cases they accepted, and the service didn't come cheap. If it hadn't have been for his great-aunt Catherine, Will doubted that Anna would have been given a place. They would've had to take her to another, less exemplary, rehab clinic.

Will froze and then blinked slowly. He was looking at the dashboard without seeing it, a sudden insight dawning over him. Perhaps there was a way he could help Beth after all…

Will nodded to himself several times before pulling the keys out of the ignition. With a plan in mind, he suddenly found the energy to get out of the car. First, he had to return to his party and give Beth's goodbyes to Charles and Anna, and then as soon as he was in New York he would set everything up.


	15. No less brittle than beautiful

_Shine_

By Luna

Chapter 15**: **No less brittle than beautiful

* * *

Jane led Beth forward into Lydia's hospital room. She was still in the hospital mostly as a precaution; she was no longer in the intensive care unit.

Beth's stomach gave an unpleasant twinge at the sight of her younger sister, so small and pale beneath the blankets. Lydia stirred as they entered, but she didn't fully wake.

"Whatever they gave her completely knocked her out. She's been asleep for most of the day," Jane said quietly. Beth nodded, her eyes still on Lydia. There were dark circles beneath the girl's eyes and her lips were pale; Beth had never seen anyone who looked so unhealthy. She wondered again, for the millionth time, how such a thing could happen to her family.

She heard voices drafting in quietly from the hallway and turned to see her parents. She walked out to greet them and found them mid-conversation with Lydia's doctor.

"—not usually an opening. However, it's truly one of the best in the country and a wonderful opportunity for Lydia. You're very fortunate."

"Yes, of course," Beth's father said seriously. Beth noticed that both he and her mother were holding some kind of pamphlet in their hands. "We'll make the arrangements immediately."

The doctor excused herself, and Beth made her presence known.

"Hello dear," Fanny said, pulling her daughter into a hug. "This has been the worst day. You have no idea what this hospital is doing to my nerves. It makes me sick, just being here, and seeing my poor baby like this…" Her eyes welled with tears, and she shoved the pamphlet into Beth's hands before rushing forward into the room to dote on the sleeping Lydia.

Beth sighed and then stepped forward to hug her father. "Hi dad," she said. She didn't think she'd ever seen him looking so tired, so _old_. He looked as though he'd aged years since she'd seen him last.

"I'm glad you're home, Beth. I've missed you." He sighed tiredly. "If you'll excuse me, I have to go make some important phone calls." He tapped the pamphlet he was holding twice and then walked into Lydia's room, reaching for his phone.

Beth finally looked down at what she was holding. The glossy front page showed a pretty compound with several brick buildings and a garden of flowers. "The Anne Wentworth rehabilitation clinic," Beth read to herself.

She assumed it was the business her father was now tending to. The clinic itself looked lovely. Even better, it was just outside of Washington, D.C. and relatively close to their home in Maryland.

Once it became clear that Lydia wasn't going to be waking any time soon, Jane offered to take Beth home so they could eat some dinner.

Jane looked up from her plate to Beth as they sat across from each other at the table. She agitatedly speared a piece of food on her fork; she obviously had something on her mind. Jane blushed slightly. "Do you think it's our fault? We didn't say anything about Jamie. I convinced you not to say anything," Jane finally blurted.

"You feel responsible, too?" Beth asked, looking guilty.

"I can't help it. Obviously it's not really our fault, but you knew what he was, and I told you not to tell anyone." Jane grimaced as she said it.

"Jane, stop blaming yourself. We thought he was trying to make a new start. I wouldn't have wanted to tell everyone about Anna Darcy anyway." She rubbed her temples tiredly; she could feel a headache building behind her eyes. "I know it's hopeless to think this, but somehow I wish it were all over or that it had never happened in the first place."

She talked to Jane for a while longer before heading off to her room. Once in bed, she found it hard to fall asleep. She had too many thoughts racing around in her head. First and foremost, of course, was Lydia's predicament. Those thoughts alone would have been enough to keep her awake, but she couldn't stop thinking about her fight with Marianne either.

She didn't want to be in a fight any more. She wanted her friend back. She hoped that Marianne would be able to accept the truth. She didn't know how else they would resolve the fight. She knew that Willoughby was lying.

And though she kept them down for self-preservation, a few thoughts of Will ran through her head as she drifted off to sleep. She wished _that_ had gone differently too…

* * *

The air bit at Beth's face, and she tugged her coat closer about her, reaching into her pocket for a pair of gloves. It was freezing! Her break had passed much too quickly for her liking. She couldn't believe she was already at Pemberley, ready to begin a new semester. The walkway to her dorm was perilous and slippery with ice. She slipped several times, but luckily managed to regain her balance before she fell. Obviously, Massachusetts had had a white Christmas; the snow lay several feet deep on either side of the path.

Beth welcomed the blast of hot air that reached her as she entered the building. She made a mental note to grab a hat before going out again. She cautiously entered her room, and as she expected, Marianne was already there.

"Hey," Beth said, as she dragged in her suitcase. "It's like the arctic circle out there."

Marianne nodded before turning back to her computer.

"_And_ speaking of _freezing_…" Beth muttered under her breath as she heaved her bag onto her bed. Apparently, she was getting the cold shoulder.

"Marianne," Beth said, finally breaking the silence after half an hour passed. "We need to talk about this."

Marianne stiffened, but didn't turn around. "I don't see why."

"Come on, Marianne."

She finally turned to look at Beth. "I talked to him. He told me he was sick, and I believe him. Whatever else he is, John is not a liar. I appreciate that you told me, but you must have been mistaken. It wasn't him."

Beth clenched her jaw and bit back a reply. "Fine," she sighed. "Believe whatever you want." She grabbed her hat and her cell phone; she had to get out of the room. "I'll be back later."

She closed the door behind her and then leaned against it. She needed cheering up. She looked at her phone and dialed the first number she could think of.

"Cole?"

"Beth! How are you?"

"I'm okay. Are you back at school yet?"

"Yeah. Got in this morning. Why?"

She grinned. "Are you still offering those driving lessons?"

* * *

She met him a few minutes later outside her building.

"I don't think you're wearing enough clothing," Cole said, noticing the five layers of clothing Beth was sporting.

She smacked his arm lightly. "Shut up. It's cold! Now, where's this truck of yours?"

Smiling, he led the way to the parking lot. "How was your Christmas?"

She shrugged. "It was okay."

He smiled. "Did you get everything you wanted?"

She laughed. "I only asked for money…so yes. And you?"

"Same here; I asked for money. I watched 'A Christmas Story' six times and drank a lot of eggnog. Don't even ask about New Years' because I can't remember it." He lovingly patted the hood of a battered old truck as she laughed. "Well, here she is. Are you ready to get started?"

She raised her eyebrows. "Are you sure _it_ will start?"

"Don't judge; it's a good car. Hop in."

Cole drove her out to some seldom used back roads, explaining what he was doing and how to do it. He pulled over to the side of the road. "All right, it's your turn. Are you ready?"

She shook her head. "No. But I guess I'll try anyway." They switched places and started on quite an interesting experience.

Beth let out a little scream of frustration as she stalled out for the fifth time within fifteen minutes. Cole tried unsuccessfully to show that he was not laughing at her.

"Stop it! You're supposed to be helping me."

He only laughed harder as they lurched forward suddenly. "I'm sorry. I've just never seen anything like this. You can't get in or out of first and third gear. Now, if we could only drive around in second gear the whole time, it wouldn't be such a problem…"

She laughed. "Be quiet. _Wait_, don't be quiet; tell me how to work the whole clutch thing again…"

"Beth, you're _hopeless_."

An hour and a half later, Beth parked the car back at the school, trying to contain her excitement.

"Cole! I didn't stall out once the whole way home!" She cut him off before he could interrupt. "That time at the stop-sign doesn't count. My foot slipped."

He took the keys she proudly offered over to him. "Whatever you say."

"I'm a good driver!" she protested as they got out.

He smiled. "I know. I was only teasing you. You really did a great job. I bet even Will would let you drive his car, although I'm sure he would let you drive it anyway, even if you were the _worst_ driver alive," he insinuated slyly.

She fought to keep from blushing. "Who says I want to drive _his_ car?"

"Nobody, I was just—"

She cut him off. "Maybe I learned it so I could drive _your_ stupid truck."

"Nah, you don't like _me_ the way you like _him_."

"_Cole_!" She punched him arm.

He danced away from her. "I think it's only fair; you used to tease me mercilessly about Marianne…Hey," he looked concerned as her expression suddenly drooped. "I was just kidding."

She smiled at his concern. "No, it's not about _that_. It's just…Marianne and I are kind of in a fight right now."

He furrowed his brow. "_Oh_. I'm sorry."

She shrugged. "It's okay; you didn't know. It's a stupid fight anyway." She looked sideways at him. "Were you trying to imply that I have feelings for Will?"

He smiled. "Maybe. Why?"

"I was just going to inform you that you're crazy," she said, smiling innocently.

"Right. _I'm_ the one who's crazy." He rolled his eyes before giving her another smile.

* * *

As Beth walked to her first class of the new semester, she felt—different. She felt older somehow. She knew where everything was, for one thing. She also knew what to expect from her classes and what kind of workload to expect. She was no longer the lost little freshman from first semester, but a better and _wiser_ student of second semester.

Of course, she felt that something was missing; _someone_ to be exact. It was much harder not to think of Will once she was back at school. She kept expecting to run into him. She hadn't realized how often that had happened until it _didn't_ anymore. Many members of the student body seemed to be thinking the same thing. She'd had countless numbers of girls come up and ask her if she and Will had broken up. It happened so often that she'd turned from being embarrassed to exasperated.

She smiled wickedly as yet another girl, Megan Stanley, asked about the status of their relationship. "Well, actually no, we haven't," she silkily, and then hardened her tone and continued. "Because we were _never_ going out in the first place!"

Megan raised her eyebrows and quickly scuttled off, looking over her shoulder a few times. Beth sighed and continued walking. How many people still believed that stupid rumor?

* * *

Beth sighed, rubbing her temples. The whistling wind was making it almost impossible for her to study. It was a month into the new term, and she wanted to make sure she did well on her first big test. She sighed again and gave up for the moment; she couldn't pay attention a moment longer with the blizzard raging outside.

She looked over to Marianne's side of the room with a twinge of regret. _If_ they had still been talking, Beth would have called her and asked to go out somewhere. But, the weeks had passed, and Beth's attempts to make up proved futile. Eventually she gave up. She and Marianne hardly spoke to each other.

Marianne had left half an hour earlier saying vaguely that she was going out. Beth assumed she was going to Willoughby's place. She sighed yet again and looked to the phone. She wanted the comfort of talking to her sister.

The door banged open, causing Beth to jump wildly. Cole slid in, supporting a very pale and shivering Marianne.

"Cole! What's going on? Is she all right?"

He looked more concerned than she had ever seen him; he was almost as pale as Marianne. "I have no idea. I was walking back from one of my night classes, and she was sitting out there on the bench. I don't know how long she's been out there…"

Beth walked over to where they had sat down. "Marianne? Are you all right? Of course not; look at how you're shivering. You're freezing! Why weren't you wearing a coat?"

Marianne didn't answer any of Beth's questions. She sat, her lips slightly blue, sobbing on the bed. "You were right," she whispered through her shivers.

Beth looked at her in total confusion. "Marianne, we have to get you warmed up." She grabbed some towels, some of her warmest clothes, and told Cole to stay put as she rushed Marianne off to the bathroom. She quickly turned the water in the nearest stall on, setting it so that the water was still cool.

She needed to warm Marianne up gradually in case she had frostbite. She nimbly stripped Marianne's now soggy clothes off, and led her to the shower, gradually warming the water up until Marianne's color returned and she seemed lucid. Making sure Marianne could take care of herself, she ran back to the room.

Cole jumped up immediately. "How is she?"

"She's fine," Beth said, grabbing a mug and some tea for Marianne. "Thanks to you. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't found her." Cole followed her as she went out to the common room; she needed to microwave the water for the tea.

She looked over to Cole and smiled. He still looked terrible. "Really, she's fine." She frowned. "I don't think you should stay. She's going to be really embarrassed, and she still has to tell me what happened." He looked so downcast that Beth forced herself to add more. "You know we're both so grateful…you _saved_ her. Just…come back tomorrow to talk to her. Please?"

He sighed and looked up at the ceiling, running a hand through his hair. "Okay."

She smiled. "Thank you. Now go home and get warmed up."

She waved goodbye as Cole walked dejectedly off and then hurried back to her room. Marianne was buried under the covers in her bed.

"Good. I was going to tell you to do that anyway. Here's some tea."

Marianne smiled feebly. "Thank you, Beth." She sighed. "I'm so embarrassed! I'm such a fool."

"Just don't ever scare me like that again." Beth paused. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Marianne sighed. "Why not? It's all so stupid anyway. I went over to his apartment to surprise him. I thought we could go out, but when I got there no one answered. The doorman knows me, so he let me up. John's door is always unlocked, so I opened the door and peaked in." She rubbed her eye angrily. "I saw him with another girl—in—in bed with another girl. I couldn't take it. I ran. I wasn't thinking straight. I was so hot from seeing him like that and from running out of the building that I took my coat off. I guess I never put it back on. I don't know how long I sat there, balling my eyes out. Your friend finally walked by, and he helped me up here." Marianne looked down at her hands. "I'm so sorry. I should have listened to you. You're like a sister to me…I've been so horrible lately. It'll never happen again." Marianne looked up. "You forgive me, right?"

Beth reached over to hug her. One look at Marianne, so small, pale, and miserable, and Beth instantly forgave her. "Of course I do. I'll even let you plead temporary insanity.

Marianne smiled. "Thank you. I don't know what I would do without you."

Beth scoffed and reached over to take Marianne's empty mug before getting up to pile more blankets on the bed. "Don't be silly. You should get some rest. We can talk more in the morning."

* * *

Beth awoke to a strange sound that she couldn't quite place. Looking at the clock, she saw it was 5:00 AM, and the sound she finally recognized as Marianne's quiet sobbing. Throwing her covers off, Beth rolled out of bed and flipped on the light. The sudden brightness made her squint.

"Marianne," she called softly, before walking over and placing a hand on Marianne's head. "What's the matter?" she asked quietly. She thought she could guess the answer.

"I--I loved him. I really did. I thought he—he was the one for me—me. He wasn't. I thought he was perfect. Look what he did. How—how could he do that to me? Why wasn't I enough?" she called out, bitterly.

"Don't think like that. You didn't do anything wrong," Beth consoled, running a hand through Marianne's hair. It was hurting _her_ to see Marianne in so much pain. "Shh," she whispered, as Marianne tried to make her go lay back down. "It's fine; I'm awake. Cry all you want. I'll be right here."

Marianne managed a feeble nod, reached up to clasp Beth's hand, and continued to sob. Beth could only stroke her hair and continue to murmur encouragements. She didn't know what else to do.

Eventually Marianne cried herself out and only sniffled and hiccoughed every once and a while. She fell asleep, probably from sheer emotional exhaustion, and Beth got up from her side to stretch. She felt miserable; she wished Marianne didn't have to go through it all. Sighing, she grabbed a change of clothes and headed off to the showers. It was a little early for her to be up, but, unlike Marianne, there was no way she would be able to fall back asleep.

Walking back to her room, toweling her hair, she noticed Cole walking up the hallway toward her. She was surprised; she'd forgotten he was coming.

"Hey," she greeted him quietly as they met outside her door. "You're here early."

He grimaced slightly. "Sorry, I couldn't sleep."

She smiled and nodded. "It's okay; Marianne couldn't either. She just fell back asleep about 15 minutes ago. I don't know if she slept at all last night. I doubt it. I woke up at 5:00, and she was sobbing. It was horrible." She opened her door, put her dirty clothes into the hamper, and hung up her wet towel.

Cole followed her in and was looking at Marianne sleeping peacefully in her bed.

"She's so small…"

Beth nodded and walked to stand next to him. "She's got such a vibrant personality that you forget sometimes. She's fragile; inside and out." She sighed. "She's better this morning physically. I don't think she'll get sick. But I don't know how long it will take her to get over all this emotionally."

Marianne stirred and rolled over, mumbling in her sleep. Beth, afraid of waking her, shooed Cole out, and grabbing her coat, followed after him.

"I didn't want to wake her," she explained, putting on her coat and he nodded. "Have you had breakfast yet? No? Let's go get some then; I'm starving." Beth never felt truly awake until she'd had her breakfast and some coffee.

"So I suppose you're wondering what happened?"

Cole nodded emphatically.

Beth sighed. "I don't know how much I can tell you. It is Marianne's story after all." She sighed again. "But then again, this place is such a rumor mill. I'm sure everybody will know about it anyway soon enough." She finally decided to give him the shortened version of what happened. However, she didn't get very far. Cole started violently when he heard Willoughby's name and part in the whole mess.

"_He_ did this?" he cried out in surprise and anger.

Beth was taken aback. "What? I—you _know_ him?"

Cole scowled. "I know _of_ him. This isn't the first time he's done something like this. It's like he picks a new freshman girl every year..."

Beth was shocked, and as they got their food, Cole continued with his story.

"My freshman year I was really good friends with a senior. We met playing rugby. He was worried because his younger sister was starting here the next year and he was graduating and wouldn't be here to take care of her. Eliza was very shy," he explained, smiling at the memory. "He asked me to look after her. You know, make sure she got along all right, made friends, and got involved. It was easy to do; she was nice. We even dated for a little while, but it didn't work out." He smiled again. "That was fine, too. We were better off as friends anyway."

His countenance darkened. "But she met that Willoughby guy, and he pulled the exact same stunt with her." He frowned. "It was worse for Eliza though, she didn't have the same verve as Marianne does. She was crushed by it, and I had to watch it all happen. She was different after it happened. She went back into her shell and wouldn't talk to anyone or do anything." He shook his head. "She transferred that year; she went back home."

Beth sighed and looked down at her plate. She felt horrible for Cole; she couldn't imagine going through all of this twice. Once was bad enough.

She placed her hand on his and smiled gently up at him. "I know it must have been hard. I promise Marianne will make it. She's going through the worst of it now. Like you said, she's strong. I know she'll get over it."

She didn't want him to feel guilty for something he'd had no control over. "I know you still want to see her, but I think you should wait until she's better. I don't think she's up to talking to people right now, and especially not you because you saw her at her worst. I know it's not fair. I think it'll be best if you wait for her to come to you. I know she will eventually…"

"I kind of thought it would be like that," he said sadly, shrugging his shoulders.

"I promise she'll notice you eventually," Beth consoled, feeling horrible.

Cole rolled his eyes as though to say 'yeah right', but remained silent. They would just have to wait and see.

* * *

As the weeks passed, Beth was dismayed to find that Marianne was not improving. She wouldn't eat, she wouldn't _bathe_, she wouldn't go to class, and she slept fitfully. Beth didn't know what to do.

"Marianne," she pleaded. "You've got to go to class. You'll fail out if you don't."

Marianne only looked up unconcernedly from the book she was reading. "I have a friend taking notes for me. Beth, I can't go to classes right now. I need time to be alone and to think."

"I get some of my best ideas in the _shower_…"

Marianne rolled her eyes. "I suppose that was your way of saying I need to get off my ass and start being hygienic. Fine. I'll go take a shower once you go to class."

Beth smiled. "I'm giving you until the end of this week to wallow. After that, you've got to start living again."

Marianne scowled slightly, but agreed. "_Fine_. Oh, hey, would you mind picking up my notes for me? I told Emma to meet you after your history class."

Beth sighed heavily, but agreed to do it. She didn't want Marianne failing, after all.

* * *

Beth scanned the benches outside after her history class, looking for Emma. It didn't take long for Beth to spot her. Sitting with her long legs crossed, her foot bouncing in its stylish boot, a jaunty hat on her hair, she looked like a winter fashion add for some chic clothing company. Emma Woodhouse stood up excitedly as she saw Beth approach.

"Hello," Emma said, her voice very feminine and chirpy. "You must be Beth. Marianne has told me so much about you, and I couldn't wait to meet." With a perfectly manicured hand, she flipped her long, honey-blond hair over her shoulder.

Emma was looking through her Gucci purse. Finding what she was looking for, she handed the notes over to Beth. "Here. Tell Marianne she's very welcome," she said, smiling happily.

Beth looked at the notes in shock. She'd assumed, incorrectly, from Emma's appearance that she was flighty, like a taller version of Lydia. Looking at the notes, she knew that she was wrong.

There were pages and pages of notes, covered in neat, organized handwriting. From the notes, Beth could correctly assume that Emma was extremely intelligent, and she felt horrible for assuming anything else. Wasn't that exactly how she'd gotten into the whole mess with Will last year? She'd assumed he was something he was not.

"Wow," she said in surprise, raising her eyebrows.

Emma smiled sheepishly. "I know; it's a lot of notes." She shrugged. "I like to be thorough. That's a good thing for Marianne though, right?" she laughed and ruffled through her purse until she found some lip gloss. She applied it and then gave a slight moan. "I'm _starving_. Let's go somewhere for lunch. Daddy gave me his credit card, so it's all on me."

Beth's eyebrows had risen up at the words 'Daddy' and 'credit card', but she had bit back on saying anything. "No, that's okay. You don't have to—"

Emma cut off her refusal. "No, no. I insist. I really want to get to know you. I've heard so many interesting stories. Please?" she pleaded, clasping Beth's hand. She looked so excited that Beth couldn't say no. She soon found herself being carted off to the student-run café, arm in arm with Emma.

Emma, however, was immediately distracted as they entered the restaurant by the presence of a member of the opposite sex. Grant Knightly was sitting calmly at one of the nearby tables reading the newspaper.

She stopped abruptly as they entered. "Look! There's Knightly," she said, sounding happily surprised. "Go ahead and order, Beth. I'll order in a minute; I've _got_ to talk to him."

Beth watched in amusement as Emma sauntered over to Knightly's table, a definite swing in her hips. He stiffened as she leaned over his shoulder to see what he was reading, and her long hair obscured them from view.

Beth wasn't surprised that she knew the cashier—it was the student-run café after all. Robert Martin was working behind the counter. Beth knew him from her English class. He was quiet and bookish looking with his glasses.

"Beth, what can I get you?"

She smiled. "Hello, Robert. I'll have a turkey club sandwich, thanks."

Emma joined her a moment later, placing her order. She chose a table and then sat down with a huff.

"Sometimes that boy just drives me completely _insane_," Emma said, her eyes on Grant as he left the café. "Acting like he's always right…"

Emma laughed a moment later, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry; I'm being too dramatic."

Beth began to eat her food, but Emma's attention was still diverted, this time toward the cashier.

"What do you think of Rob Martin?" she finally asked Beth after a minute.

Beth blinked, completely surprised. What was she supposed to say? She hadn't ever really thought about Rob Martin before. "Umm," she began inarticulately, and Emma nodded.

"That's how I feel too. But my roommate—her name is Harriet—she's completely stuck on him. I just don't understand; he's about as exciting as a slug." She rolled her eyes. "She could at least pick somebody worth drooling over, like Willoughby. He's a bastard, for sure, but so sexy." She gave Beth a wicked look before she continued. "Or Will Darcy. That boy has nothing but raw sex appeal…but then, you probably know more about _that_ than I do."

Beth's mouth dropped open in surprise and outrage, but as she was in the middle of swallowing a bite of her sandwich she couldn't say anything. Giving her a wink, Emma smiled. "Now, enough talk about _that_. Let's talk about something else." She effortlessly changed the subject and turned to Beth, smiling sympathetically. "How is Marianne doing?"

* * *

Beth threw the notes onto Marianne's desk as she entered their room.

"How did it go?"

Beth smiled. "It was fun. We went out to lunch. Emma's nice, but how does she find out all that stuff about people?" It was true; Beth learned more about the students at Pemberley in that half hour lunch with Emma than she had throughout the whole year.

Marianne smiled slightly and shrugged. "Beats me. Just be glad that you're friends now. "

"Why?"

"She's much less likely to talk about _you_ when juicy gossip comes up."

Beth blinked in surprise, raising her eyebrows. "Oh, I see." She hadn't thought of that, but it seemed to be true. After her first joking remark about Will, Emma had kindly kept silent on the whole subject.

Beth flopped onto her bed, riffling through her mail, which she had picked up on her way back from lunch. A letter addressed to her from Lydia caught her eye, and she quickly opened it.

_Beth,_

_We're supposed to write these 'in an effort to improve our communication skills with our friends and loved ones', but it seems like a load of bull to me. Obviously the nurses here haven't seen my texting bill, or they would know how freaking good I am at communicating. _

_But some parts of rehab totally rock. They let you eat whenever you want. And two days a week I go to this sauna thing; I think they're trying to sweat all the leftover coke out of me. There's this recovering alcoholic here who's totally hot, too. Wish me luck with him!_

_Luv, _

_Lydia_

Beth was caught between wanting to cringe and laugh. Lydia obviously hadn't yet realized repercussions of her actions. Beth hoped that someday she would realize what she had put them all through, but for now, she was still just a silly 16 year old girl.

Marianne was staring at Beth with an unreadable expression on her face. Beth had forgotten she was in the room while she read the letter.

"Who's that from?" Marianne asked quietly, unsure if she had the right to know.

Beth looked at her in surprise. She'd forgotten that Marianne knew nothing about Lydia. They had fought the night it happened, and had hardly talked until a few weeks ago. "It's a long story."

"I've got the time," Marianne said, encouragingly.

"I don't know where to start. I guess you should know that my younger sister, Lydia, is in rehab for her coke addiction."

Marianne's eyes widened perceptibly. "_What_?" She suddenly paled. "That must have been horrible to find out about. You had to go through all of this when we were fighting. I'm so sorry I haven't been there for you like I should have been. I'm a terrible friend." She looked down, ashamed.

Beth shook her head, smiling. "Don't worry about it. I dealt with it. Anyway, this is a letter from her. It's so—so utterly Lydia." Beth shook her head. She filled Marianne in on the details until it was time for her afternoon class.

She was so glad that she and Marianne were friends again. It had felt so good to talk to her about Lydia's addiction. Sometimes Jane was too optimistic. Beth felt bad when she said things that didn't agree with Jane's idealistic philosophy on life.

Walking to class, Beth looked around happily. The sun was shining, making the snow blindingly bright, and for the first time she could see patches of green grass. She could hear the little tinkles of dripping water as the icicles melted. It was a beautiful day; one of the warmest they'd had in months, and many other students were out walking and enjoying the warmer air. She let her thoughts wander.

Inevitably, her thoughts turned to Will. It had been almost two months, and he seemed to be all she _could_ think about. She spent more time thinking about him now that he was gone than she had when he had been at Pemberley. She couldn't help it; she missed him. She wanted him to come back.

* * *

Looking around her living room in complete satisfaction, Catherine Bourgh moved forward, lazily picked up her tea from the drawing room table, and stirred it around absently. She was intent on viewing her newly arrived guests. Every Tuesday afternoon, the Junior Women's League gathered in one of the member's homes to discuss the 'issues' of the day. Really it was nothing more than a glorified gossip meeting where the members had the opportunity to show off their homes, their outfits, and their hosting skills. This week, the meeting was taking place at Catherine's apartment.

Eying the other women in the room, Catherine noted with satisfaction that none of them were dressed as well as she was. She looked down to her hand-tailored, Italian made, gray wool gabardine suit with pleasure. It had cost her a pretty penny, but she knew it was worth it. It was the best that money could buy, and Catherine would not be caught _dead_ in anything less than the absolute best. After all, what was money for, if not to prove her superiority? Sitting there, Catherine managed to portray elegance and grace, along with total authority and control. No one in the room would dare go against her opinion in anything.

A small smile passed her lips as she took a prim sip of tea and listened to what Betty Jennings was saying. Her smile grew. Betty was talking about her niece, and Catherine knew that the conversation would soon turn to her own nephew. The woman of the Junior Women's League _never_ missed an opportunity to talk about the young Mr. Darcy.

As if on cue, Betty brought up Catherine's favorite subject. "Catherine, dear, isn't your William at Pemberley as well? My Elise said he was elected captain of the lacrosse team."

Catherine smiled. "Why, yes, he was, although lacrosse season hasn't started yet. He's currently doing an internship in New York. It was a very prestigious offer. As you know, he is exceptionally bright."

She waited and was not disappointed. Right on cue, the women in the drawing room all let out a collective sigh. They were duly impressed by this information.

"He'll make some woman _very_ happy some day. Of course, he'll have to be very careful of whom he chooses. You can never be too careful. Is he seeing anyone now, Catherine?" Isabella Bates asked, obviously wondering if _her_ granddaughter had a chance. What a profitable union that would be!

Catherine smiled in disdain, but did not have a chance to say no, as Betty spoke first.

"I was talking to Elise, and she says she's seen him at socials with a young lady. They're apparently often seen around campus together. I thought it was adorable. Elise said she was beautiful; lovely hair or something like that." She snapped her fingers impatiently. "Now, what was that name? If I could just...Oh, I remember now—Elizabeth. It was Elizabeth Bennet."

The room instantly broke into a flurry of whispers and suggestions. Catherine remained silent. She was beyond shocked. She had almost spit out her tea when Betty began talking. William dating someone without her knowledge_? Impossible_! Her eyes, which had been open considerably wider than normal, narrowed dangerously. She was most seriously displeased. It was bad enough that he was in a serious relationship with someone without her approval, but for it to be Elizabeth Bennet on top of _that_? It was an outrage.

"Are you certain this is true?" Catherine asked, her icy blue eyes glittering dangerously, her voice cold. The conversation in the room screeched to a halt.

Betty turned to her in surprise. "Why, Catherine, of course I am. Elise wouldn't make up something like that. I was under the impression that _you_ would know all about it. You _have_ met this girl, haven't you?" Betty asked, with growing surprise and incredulousness.

"Of course I've met her," Catherine snapped. "She visited here this summer at the same time as William. I can assure you that she is a very bright, beautiful, and amiable girl," she finished, saving face.

And she was as good as dead if Catherine ever found out it was true. She believed Beth was a nice girl, but that did _not_ mean she approved of her dating her nephew. She had extremely high standards. _No_ _one_ was good enough for William, no one, and especially not Elizabeth Bennet.

Although their suspicions were mollified, the group of women around the table were still looking slightly incredulous, so Catherine smiled and deftly maneuvered the conversation away from the subject of her nephew. She was, after all, the perfect hostess, even while under duress.

As soon as the conversation was successfully diverted away from her nephew, she began to make a plan. This news was most unsettling! And if it were true…

Catherine shook her head. That was impossible, or at least, it _should_ have been. She was sure she'd taught him better than to run around with riff-raff. He had an image to keep, after all.

She sighed heavily. She had been planning a trip out to the east coast anyway. She would simply have to move her timetable up and make a side trip to Massachusetts to find out the truth for herself. She narrowed her eyes again. Catherine was known to get downright _nasty_ when she did not get what she wanted.


	16. A prettyish kind of little wilderness

_Shine_

By Luna

Chapter 16**: **A prettyish kind of little wilderness

* * *

Beth opened a bleary eye to look at her clock. It was 12:17, and the sun was shining into her room through the blinds, patterning her floor with stripes. Through the cracks in the blinds, she glimpsed a bright blue sky laced with wispy clouds.

With a slight groan, she flipped the covers over her head to block out the light and tried to find a comfortable spot so she could fall asleep again. She'd already slept for ten hours, but somehow, she couldn't force herself to get up. It was spring break, after all.

She wished spring break were _over_ already. She couldn't wait to go back to school. It would be mid-March, and that meant one thing: Will's return.

Of course, as soon as she wished she were back at school, the days only passed slower and slower. She felt like she was moving through molasses.

A yell from downstairs notified Beth that her mother was attempting to get her attention. She lay still and held her breath. She hoped that if she didn't move, her mother would leave her alone. She was not overly lucky, as Fanny pushed open the door with a cheery 'hello'.

"Good morning, dear. Lunch is ready," she continued, flipping open the blinds.

Beth sighed, but dutifully rolled out of bed. "I'll be down in a minute," she finished, resignedly.

Beth contemplated getting dressed for a moment, but decided against it. She wasn't going out anywhere, she didn't plan on seeing anyone, and she was much more comfortable in her pajamas.

Jane smiled as Beth finally made her way into the kitchen.

"Hello, sleepyhead. I'm glad you could finally join us."

Beth eyed her sister. Jane was impeccably dressed and groomed and had obviously been up for hours. "Sometimes I can't believe we're related," she muttered.

Jane laughed sarcastically. "Ha-ha. You're _so_ funny, Beth."

Beth grinned and joined her sister at the table. "What are your plans for today?" she asked.

"I was going to drive over to the clinic to visit Lydia. Did you want to join me?"

Beth did want to join, and so she quickly ate and dressed, joining her sister in the car half an hour later.

An attendant showed Beth and Jane the way to Lydia's room. Her room was small, but cozy and homey feeling. There were fresh flowers in a jar by the window, which showed the dreary post-winter landscape. There were pictures of Lydia and her friends as well as posters from movies tacked on her wall.

Lydia was standing by her bed, and she turned as her sisters entered. The blond hair around her face was dripping sweat and her cheeks were rosy.

She greeted them with a cheery wave. "I'm glad you guys are here; but I've totally got to shower. I smell like a pig." She wrinkled her nose. "I swear they're not happy unless you're drenched in sweat. You guys make yourself comfortable, and I'll shower really quickly." Lydia disappeared into the bathroom.

Jane smiled and took a seat in one of the chairs, but Beth wanted to look around the room.

"It seems like Lydia really likes it here," Jane said pleasantly and Beth nodded.

"I think she thinks she's at summer camp, or something," Beth muttered, looking over the photos on the wall. "She doesn't take it seriously. Doesn't she realize that she almost died?"

Jane shrugged. "That's not the way Lydia works. Serious things aren't a part of her world."

Beth shook her head, but Lydia had reentered the room, so she didn't reply. Whether she was taking it seriously or not, rehab was doing Lydia good. She already looked healthier than Beth had seen her in months. She had put on some weight, and it did her a world of good.

"I'm just gonna blow-dry my hair and then we can go get lunch. The food here rocks. I bet they totally put crack in it," Lydia said, rummaging in her drawer for her blow-dryer.

"I feel like crack probably isn't part of the menu at a rehab clinic," Beth said, arching her eyebrow, but Lydia only mouthed the word 'whatever' and started to dry her hair.

Beth busied herself looking at the get well cards Lydia had received. Most of them were from her friends from school, except for one. Beth felt her heart begin to pound as she gingerly picked up the last card on the right. The violets on the cover seemed so innocuous, and yet…

_Lydia,_

_I hope this card finds you doing well. I heard you'd been admitted to rehab from my brother, Will. The Anne Wentworth clinic did me a world of good, and I hope it will do the same for you. I talked with some of the staff, and they promised to take extra good care of you. I know what you're going through, and if you ever need to talk to someone feel free to give me a call._

_Anna Darcy_

Beth felt like she wasn't getting enough air. She couldn't believe what she was seeing, but there it was anyway: a card from Anna Darcy to Lydia. She hadn't realized Lydia was done with her hair until she came and spoke right next to Beth.

"Isn't that funny?"

Beth jumped wildly. "Huh?"

"That card. I don't even know the girl; she's Will's sister." Lydia shrugged good-naturedly. "It's nice though. Everyone here treats me like a princess because they think I'm friends with Anna or something. Apparently she was a big deal. I still don't know how Will knew I was in rehab though. I haven't seen him since the summer, and even then we never really _talked_."

"I told him," Beth said quietly. It was the topmost thought from the jumble in her head. "I was with him when I found out you were in the hospital."

"Bummer. I bet that was a buzz-kill. Anyway, who wants lunch?"

Beth put the card back on the desk and followed her sister without really seeing anything. Nothing made any sense. The afternoon was a blur. Beth must have rallied herself enough so that Jane and Lydia didn't notice that anything was the matter, but Beth was far from okay.

* * *

As soon as she and Jane returned home, she barricaded herself in her room. She paced back and forth around her bed, running her hands through her hair distractedly. She had come up with a scenario of events to explain the card, but could it really be true?

She had told Will her sister was in the hospital. That much was true. He must have told Anna about Lydia's situation, and they had arranged it so that Lydia received a spot in one of the best rehab clinics in the country, a chance she never would have gotten without the help of the Darcys.

Beth suddenly sat down on her bed. She couldn't understand why Will would do something like that. What was Lydia to him? They hardly even knew each other, she was sure. She wished, not for the first time, that Will was in town, but this time she only wanted to ask him one thing: _Why_?

She couldn't begin to comprehend the answer to that question. But she knew one thing for sure: they owed Will everything. She hung her head; she was ashamed for herself and for her family. Will had done so much for them. He'd gone out of his way to help her family. How could she ever repay him? With a groan, she flopped down on her bed.

Jane's knock on the door broke Beth out of her daze. Beth lifted her head and then sat up once she got a good look at her sister. She had been afraid that Jane was coming to ask her what was wrong, and Beth wouldn't have known what to tell her. Beth had been wrong. Instead, Jane looked suspiciously happy. She sat down nervously on the edge of Beth's bed.

Beth cocked her head to the side. "What's up?"

Jane took a deep breath, her eyes bright. "Beth," she said quietly. "I didn't know how to tell you this. First everyone was so worried about Lydia, and there just never seemed to be a good time to mention it. But Charles and I...we're back together."

Beth sat forward with a start, her eyes wide and a silly smile on her face. "Jane! That's wonderful. When--how--" Beth broke off laughing. Jane looked happier than Beth had seen her in a year.

"I don't know how it happened. At first I was so ashamed that I was talking to him again. I felt like I was being weak. But he just kept calling and calling." She shook her head. "One of the first things he said was how sorry he was, and how miserable he'd been. Apparently Caroline convinced him to break it off, and he said he'd regretted it ever since. He couldn't stop thinking about me..." Jane laughed helplessly, and Beth reached out to grab her sister's hands, feeling overjoyed.

"He's visited me a few times. At first we were just trying to be friends, but neither of us could pretend we didn't still feel something. We're officially back together."

Beth gave her sister a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Jane, I'm _so_ happy for you. I always hoped you two would find a way back to each other."

After more talking and explaining, Jane left Beth to finish up her work. Beth couldn't keep the smile from her face. She had been worried about her sister for so long, and suddenly Jane was as happy as could be. It made everything in Beth's life seem brighter and better too.

Though extremely distracted, she somehow managed to finish all the work she'd been assigned over break, and when the day of her return finally came, she couldn't wait to go back. Spring break was finally over!

* * *

Beth woke one morning to one of the best spring days she had seen all year. The sun was shining and the birds were singing. They seemed to be celebrating the beauty of the day. It was the perfect day for a run. After changing into a pair of shorts and a long-sleeved shirt, Beth piled her hair into a messy ponytail and put on her running shoes. She didn't bother trying to wake Marianne. Beth knew she hated running and that she would never willing get up for exercise. Grabbing her ipod, she headed out the door.

Many of her schoolmates were outside enjoying the weather as well. There were many fellow joggers out along the path, as well as some groups playing ultimate Frisbee in the grass. Many others were lying on blankets under the newly budding trees or sitting on the benches.

After running for half an hour, Beth still felt great. She didn't know if it was the endorphins, or the day itself, but she felt glad to be alive. It was too nice outside to worry about anything. As it always happened when she ran, all thoughts drifted away out of her mind. She felt really relaxed for the first time in weeks. She was also feeling the effects of winter on her body. She was winded.

When she passed him, it took her a few seconds to register what, or _whom_ exactly she had seen. She stopped abruptly and ripped the headphones out of her ears. The sudden pounding of her heart in her throat had absolutely nothing to do with running and everything to do with him.

She whipped her head around to see Will standing a few paces back with a lopsided grin on his face. She had to bite back on a squeal. Whether it was because of the beautiful day, or because she hadn't seen him in three months, or because of the effect his sunglasses had on his face, Beth didn't know. She only knew that he looked really, _really_ good. She wished suddenly and irrationally that she wasn't so out of breath. She rushed over to him.

"Good run?" he asked, and she nodded, trying to catch her breath.

"I didn't—know—you were—back," she said in between gulps of air.

He smiled down at her. "Yeah, since yesterday."

"That's—great. You know—if I wasn't—so _sweaty_—I would give you a hug,"

Will raised an eyebrow and gave her an odd look. Beth felt like clapping a hand over her mouth.

"I guess I'll take a rain-check on that one."

Beth nodded; she couldn't think properly. Her brain kept repeating "He's back; he's back". She could tell he thought the whole situation was highly amusing. She managed to make herself speak; her throat had gone funny.

"Yes—a rain-check. How—how was New—York?"

"It was great. Challenging a lot of the time, but I had fun."

"Good. I'm really—happy—for you. School was—just—blah," she finished with a nervous chuckle. She'd built up their meeting in her head and had imagined many different scenarios for it. It had turned out nothing like she'd imagined. She was never gasping for air in her imagination.

"I don't want to keep you from your run. We'll have to talk later. I know Cole wanted to get a whole group of people together."

"Oh...okay," Beth said. She didn't know why, but she felt disappointed. Will was being perfectly friendly. She wanted more: much, much more. She didn't want to keep running; she wanted to stay and talk to him. But she couldn't say that _now_. She had to finish her run.

"Give me a call later, or have Cole call me. Whichever." Finally feeling a little bit like herself again, she smiled up at him. "I'm really glad you're back."

She turned to go, still looking at him, and ran into a pedestrian. Blushing hotly, arm stinging, she stammered an apology to the disgruntled walker before starting off. She could have cried; it was all so embarrassing. She didn't look back. She didn't want to see if Will was laughing; she knew he was.

* * *

"Marianne, it was _horrible_," Beth gushed as soon as she got back. "I was out of breath from running, and he was standing there all cool and calm and so cute, and I couldn't think. I was crazy, with like--like verbal diarrhea."

She buried her face in her pillow and groaned. "I told him I was sweaty. What is _wrong_ with me? Why did I say that?" she cringed, remembering the last thing that had happened. "Oh, and by the end when I could finally breathe again, I turned to go and boom, ran straight in to someone. He probably thought I was insane."

Marianne laughed. "I think I liked it better when you were in denial about Will. You certainly talked about him less…" she ducked as Beth threw the pillow at her.

"Shut up. I'm going through _severe_ emotional trauma, and you're cracking jokes…" But Beth couldn't keep a straight face either. She joined in the laughter.

* * *

Beth groaned in surprise as Marianne jumped onto her bed the next morning.

"Wha?" she croaked sleepily.

"Time to wake up!" Marianne called happily, bouncing up and down. When Beth tried to roll away from her, Marianne pinned her down and tickled her mercilessly.

"Marianne!" Beth managed in between laughing gasps. "_Stop_, stop! What are you doing? It's six o'clock in the morning!"

Marianne grinned mischievously. "I've got something to show you; you're gonna love it. Come on, get up!"

Beth groaned again, but slowly rolled out of bed. For the first time in a long time Marianne was acting like herself again, and Beth didn't want to spoil it.

"This had better be the most amazing thing I've ever seen in my entire _life_," she muttered grumpily, slipping on a pair of shoes. She didn't bother changing out of her pajamas.

Marianne led the very confused and slightly whiny Beth to the path she had run the day before. Beth was already wishing she had put on shorts; it was positively _warm_ outside.

"What are we doing here?" she asked through a yawn. "If this is it, I'm going back inside. I saw it all yesterday."

Marianne simply smiled again. "Be _patient_ and look down there." She pointed to their left.

Beth squinted. "I don't know what you're _ta_—" she trailed off as movement down the path caught her eye. The men's lacrosse team was in the middle of their morning run, and they were obviously working up a sweat. Almost all of them had taken off their shirts. Will, with the advantage of his long legs, was leading the pack, shirt nowhere in sight.

Beth's mouth dropped open in a silly grin, and she looked over to Marianne, who giggled happily. The view only got better as the pack drew closer. The boys all glistened slightly with sweat in the morning sun as they made their way across campus.

Will grinned when he spotted them and gave a nod of greeting as they passed, and Beth managed to give him a small wave with her hand, though she couldn't help laughing. Some of the other boys they knew said hello as well. Beth was impressed; the entire team had looked rather fit.

"Did you start drooling? I think I started drooling," she said, giggling.

Beth ignored her and said jokingly, "Was it me, or did the Earth move?"

"Yeah, it _moved_."

Beth laughed happily, staring off into the distance. "How did you know they were going to do that? You're never up this early."

Marianne conceded the point. "I know. I can't take credit for this discovery. Emma told me about it yesterday. She said they've been out running for the past couple of weeks, but that it wasn't worth watching until the weather warmed up. She thought we would appreciate the eye candy. I'm sure she's standing further down the path with Harriet. Apparently they do this every morning. Can you imagine?" She smiled wickedly. "So, was it worth getting up?"

Beth giggled puckishly. "Definitely." After all, a little lost sleep was worth the sight of the half-clothed men's lacrosse team any day.

* * *

Beth was disappointed later when Cole called to invite her to Will's coming home party that night. She had a huge amount of work to do and an exam the next morning, so she couldn't go, however sorely tempted she was to try. Marianne went, in her first social outing since the breakup and told Beth later that night that she hadn't missed much.

"People crashed and everything got out of control. It wasn't much fun. I didn't even see Will the whole time, except in the beginning, and he was surrounded by a huge group of girls anyway, so I couldn't tell him that you couldn't come. Sorry. He probably didn't notice anyway."

"If you're trying to make me feel better, you're doing a terrible job."

Marianne soon went off to take a shower, and Beth tried to work on a paper, but failed miserably. She couldn't concentrate. Ever since she'd seen Will, she'd been debating whether or not to ask him about Lydia. She wanted to, desperately, but she knew it would be a horribly awkward conversation. She didn't know how to bring it up, or what to say about it at all. What she really wanted was a way to find out the information without having to actually ask Will. She knew that would never happen. If she really wanted to know, she had to ask.

She knew it was going to be difficult finding him. She didn't even know his class schedule because the new semester had started. But she couldn't leave it alone; she _couldn't_. The question had been bothering her ever since she found out, and now her curiosity was getting the better of her; she _needed_ to know what had happened. She made a plan to go to his dorm room the next day after lunch. She thought it sounded like a reasonable time for him not to have class.

The short walk to his dorm the next day was hell. She was terribly nervous. When she reached the doors to Pemberley the first time, she actually gave up and walked away. She stopped a few paces away, her foot tapping agitatedly. She knew if she didn't go in now, she would never get the courage to do it again. Squaring her shoulders, she turned back and managed to make it inside.

The attendant, a grizzly middle-aged woman, did not look up from her romance novel as Beth came in. Beth was relieved. She couldn't think of an explanation for being there anyway. She walked up the flights of stairs with butterflies fluttering happily in her stomach.

As she rounded the corner to his hallway, she saw that his door was open. It was a sure sign that he was in his room. Looking in, she saw him lounging in his desk chair, legs splayed out, chin in hand, apparently lost in thought. There was an abandoned textbook on the desk next to him.

"Working hard?" she asked, and he jumped slightly in surprise.

"Hi! I didn't know you were there." He got up quickly and smiled nervously.

"I didn't mean to startle you," she began, but he shook his head.

"No, it's fine. Don't worry."

"You got a couch!" she pointed out, surprised. She had been trying to figure out what was different about his room.

He looked at it, smiling. "Yeah. It was from the apartment."

He gestured to the couch. "Here, sit." Once she was seated, he plopped down into his desk chair again. "So?" He questioned, obviously wondering what her purpose was. His look was not annoyed, only curious. He was more than happy to see her.

Beth breathed unhappily, looking at her hands.

"Will," she looked down at her hands before continuing. She would just be blunt. "I know what you did for my sister—for Lydia," she finished unhappily. She finally looked up.

She couldn't read the emotions in Will's face. The smile had slipped from his face. He blinked and looked away, while saying a quiet, "Oh."

"Actually, I don't know anything about it," she corrected. "But I think that you got her into the Anne Wentworth clinic, and I wanted to know _why_. You don't really know Lydia. She—she doesn't deserve all the special treatment. It's all a big joke to her anyway. And then I think about how you and Anna must have put so much effort into what you did." She finished miserably.

Will got up and turned his back, looking out the windows. Beth felt an immediate sense of trespassing.

"I—you don't have to tell me. I shouldn't have asked," she said, feeling foolish. She wished she hadn't come.

He turned back to her, and he wasn't scowling, as she'd half expected. He only seemed thoughtful and earnest. "Beth, it's fine." His mouth quirked and he gave her a half smile. "I was just wondering how you found out."

She was so relieved he wasn't angry that she could have laughed out loud. "I guess I always wondered a little. I heard the doctor say how selective the clinic was, and I couldn't figure out how they had an opening for Lydia. And then I was visiting her and there was a card from your sister. I put two and two together." She smiled ruefully. "I was blown away," she said. "Lydia's probably the _least_ deserving person on Earth," she finished, with feeling.

He looked away for a moment, shoving his hands into his pockets. He looked as though he didn't know where to start. "My father died when I was 17 and Anna was really distraught by it. I didn't realize how much because I was too busy thinking about myself—about _my_ loss. Then she started spending time with Jamie, and it was like I didn't even know her any more."

Beth watched him with wide eyes. She wondered if he'd ever told anyone this before. He looked almost relieved to be talking about it.

"It wasn't until she came back from rehab that I realized how wrong things had been. She was finally herself again—finally the girl I remembered. I know I don't know Lydia very well but." He shrugged slightly, looking away from her for the first time. He suddenly looked bashful. "I wanted that kind of recovery for her and your family. For you. I know how hard it can be. It was the least I could do."

She closed her eyes. He was _so_ good. "I don't know how to thank you. We owe you so much."

He held up a hand. "You don't have to thank me. Really; it was nothing. I just did it to...," he trailed off and shrugged again. "It was nothing."

She was quiet for a moment. "I really appreciate what you did."

He looked at her for a long moment and then nodded.

She allowed her gaze to travel up and meet his, and it turned into another of their long gazing moments. Beth had thought about him for months, and to see him standing only a few feet from her was making her stomach do flips. She had missed the sound of his voice, his eyes. His hands were still in his pockets, and she could hear the muffled sound of coins as he jangled them. Beth wondered what he was thinking; if he was thinking the same things about _her_. Will was opening his mouth to speak when a loud knock came from the open door. They both turned their heads quickly at the sound.

"Will, Kenny and Max are about to get into a fight down in the lounge! Something must have happened at that party last night," the boy said.

Will groaned and rolled his eyes.

The guy at the door laughed. "_You're_ the one that signed up to be a R.A. I would never have signed up for it. I don't know what the hell you were thinking," he finished, laughing.

Will nodded ruefully. "I don't know either." He turned to Beth, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry, but I've got to..."

She waved him off. "Go break up the fight. Punch one of them in the kidney for me if you get a chance. I'll see you later, sometime."

He laughed and hurried down the hallway.

Beth sighed, following him out. It had gone better than she'd expected, but she felt disappointed somehow. Will's reason made perfect sense, but…

Occasionally, she'd thought that perhaps he'd done it for _her_. Of course now she felt foolish. He was doing it so that another family wouldn't be destroyed by a drug. He was doing it out of the goodness of his heart. She sighed and walked back to her dorm.

* * *

A few hours later, Beth was back in her room, quietly talking to Marianne. They were both surprised when their dorm phone rang. Beth walked over and picked it up. She couldn't place the voice on the other end.

"Beth? Hi, this is Emma."

"Oh, hi, how are you?"

"I'm good. You?"

"Great."

"Good. I'm calling because I caught wind of something, and I'm pretty sure you'll be interested."

Beth's interest was piqued. "Oh? And what's that?"

"Your friend, Cole Brandon, is playing downtown at an open-mike-night tonight."

Beth was surprised and ecstatic. "Are you _serious_? I wonder why he didn't tell me?" she questioned aloud.

"He didn't tell anyone. I overheard a conversation he was having with someone who works there. He's playing at 'Seattle's' at 8:00 tonight."

"Wow. Thank you so much for telling me. I'm definitely going. Hey, you should come too; I'm sure he's going to be really good."

She heard Emma's delighted laughter on the other end of the phone. "You're welcome; I was happy to help. I knew you would be interested. I'll try to make it tonight; it sounds like it would be fun. Anyway, I've got to go. Say hello to Marianne for me."

Beth said she would, and they hung up.

"Emma says hello," she told a curious Marianne.

"Oh? What else did she have to say?"

Beth chuckled. "You'll never believe this, but Cole is playing at a club downtown tonight. I'm going to go watch him play." She smiled devilishly. "And _you're_ coming with me. Don't even _try_ to get out of it."

Marianne sighed and resisted, but eventually gave in, as Beth knew she would. Beth rubbed her hands together excitedly.

* * *

Beth followed Marianne into Seattle's and coughed; it was extremely smoky. Squinting through the hazy air, she tried to see if she knew any of the people in the club, but failed to recognize anyone. She and Marianne sat down at a table, and Beth tried to calm her nerves. She was nervous for Cole; she didn't want him to do badly.

She laughed as Marianne made a face and started coughing. "You think there's enough smoke in here?"

Beth smiled and shook her head. "Nah, we could definitely use some more; I can still see your face."

"Oh-ho, _very_ funny."

They were forced to break off from their teasing as the manager came on stage. He allowed the applause to die down before starting.

"Welcome to open-mike-night, everybody. We've got some really good players tonight." He looked down at his clipboard. "First up tonight, we've got a young man visiting us from the Pemberley campus. Everybody, give it up for Cole Brandon!"

Beth joined in the clapping as Cole made his way onto the stage. To his credit, he didn't seem nervous at all. In fact, Beth was far more nervous than he was. She wiped her sweaty palms on her pants as he adjusted the mike. She swallowed hard and squeezed her eyes shut as he tuned up his guitar, praying that he would be good. She couldn't watch. She had a feeling that the crowed could turn nasty if things didn't go well.

After a quiet 'good evening', Cole began, and Beth's eye shot open because she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her relationship with Cole was purely platonic; she'd never thought of him as anything but a friend. She had the feeling, however, that if he'd gone around singing more often it would be a different story. His voice was beautiful and melodic and deep and downright _sexy_.

"Wow," she said quietly to herself. She couldn't believe that she'd never heard him sing before. If _she_ could sing like that _everybody_ would know about it. She noticed Marianne for the first time since Cole had begun singing; he was hard to look away from. Marianne was looking up at the stage, mouth agape, and Beth had the feeling she was really noticing Cole for the first time. No one could ever suggest him lacking passion or intensity; it was all there in every note he sang.

Beth clapped and let out a big whoop among the hearty applause as he finished the song. The whoop attracted his attention, and she knew he had spotted her and Marianne. He smiled and dipped his head in greeting as she waved up. As he began the next song, she turned to Marianne with amusement. She hadn't moved a single muscle and was still staring up at the stage with her mouth open.

Beth reached over to gently close her mouth. "I think _you're_ drooling a little," she quoted, laughing.

Marianne looked over, dazed. "Was it me or did the Earth move?"

Beth nodded happily, still quoting. "Oh yes; it _moved_."

She noticed during Cole's last song that Robert Martin was sitting a few tables down. When he noticed her looking he waved, and she smiled and waved back. They had become friends during their class time together. She wondered why he was at the club, but was nonetheless happy to see him.

After a very hearty round of applause for his last song, Cole made his way backstage while the manager returned to introduce the next act. Beth excused herself from Marianne, and went over to Robert's table to chat; he looked lonely.

"Hey, Robert, how are you doing?"

"I'm good. How are you?"

"I'm great. Wasn't Cole amazing?" she noticed as he nodded absently, that his attention was directed behind her. Looking over her shoulder, she saw that Emma had joined Marianne. With her was a petite girl with dark hair. Beth could only assume that this was the roommate Emma had told her about during their lunch. She saw that Harriet was already eyeing Robert. Looking at them, she was struck with a sudden idea. She turned back to him.

"Listen, Robert, I'm going to be blunt. You like Harriet, don't you." She saw his surprised and slightly sheepish look and went on. "She likes you, too. For some reason, her friend has her convinced that you're boring. I'm going to call them over here, and you can prove to her that you aren't boring."

He furrowed his brow in concentration, but nodded affirmatively. "Okay. So I should just do something to get their attention?" Beth nodded encouragingly at him, patted his hand once, and waved Marianne and the girls over.

They quickly joined them, but before Beth could say anything to them, Robert leaned over, and planted a huge kiss on her lips. Beth's eyes flew open in shock, and for a few seconds she was too surprised to do _anything_. Finally, she regained some muscle control and hastily pulled away, looking at Robert with complete astonishment.

Marianne was staring; Emma was staring; Harriet, looking fit to kill, was staring; Hell, _she_ was staring at Robert in complete and utter shock. Once thing was for certain; he'd caught their attention.

Huffing angrily, Harriet stormed off without a word.

"Shit," Beth said, eloquently, before hurrying off after her past the still-stunned Marianne and Emma. She found Harriet in the bathroom. Harriet angrily turned on her as soon as she entered.

"How could you? Emma said you were _nice_ and instead you—"

"Harriet, _wait_," Beth pleaded, cutting her off. "Listen to me for a second. It wasn't what it looked like. I don't like Robert, and I know he doesn't like me. He likes _you_. He was trying to get your attention. I think he was trying to make you jealous. I told him to do something that would get your attention. I—I never guessed he would do something like that."

Harriet was no longer bristling with anger, but slightly slumped with confusion. "He—he _likes_ me?" she asked quietly.

Beth nodded emphatically. "Yes. He really, _really_ likes you. I promise. He wasn't thinking about what he was doing."

Harriet stood still for a few minutes contemplating, before she lightly smiled. "He likes me," she repeated to herself, before looking at Beth. "I'm sorry for yelling at you," she started, but Beth shook her head.

"No, it's fine. I'm sure what it looked like gave you every reason to be upset."

Harriet nodded and smiled nervously before walking over to the mirror and fixing her hair. She turned to the door. "I'm going to go talk to him," she said quietly, before adding, louder, "I don't care what Emma thinks." And with a 'hmph', she pushed open the door and went back out into the club.

Beth sighed heavily and slumped against the wall. After about a minute she walked over to the sink and splashed some cold water over her hands and neck.

That was _not_ what she had meant by 'catch her attention'.

She tried to smother it, but couldn't help giggling a little. Marianne's face had been so funny.

She sighed and looked at her reflection in resignation. She should have known the whole thing would backfire on her. She took a few deep calming breaths and headed back out into the club.

She held up a hand as she reached Marianne at the table.

"Don't say anything," she warned. "I don't know _what_ the hell happened."

Marianne inclined her head and giggled. "Let's see, you sucked face with Robert in a club—"

Beth reached over to slap her lightly on the arm, but she couldn't help laughing along with Marianne. It was all so absurd.

"Oh, shut up, you," she said, resting her head in her hand for a moment. She looked up to see Cole making his way through the crowd to their table. She got up to give him a hug.

"Cole! You were amazing. You're definitely singing to me all the time from now on. I'm serious; no more talking—ever."

He laughed and released her. "I don't know about that." He smiled brightly. "Thank you for coming. I thought I wouldn't want anyone to be here, so I didn't invite anyone, but I was wrong. I'm really glad you came."

He greeted Marianne, and Beth noted with happiness that for once he was acting completely normal around her. She crossed her fingers behind her back; praying.

Marianne smiled up at him. "You were really good, Cole. I'm so glad I came." She motioned for him to sit down and join them. "Did you write everything yourself? Your songs were all really amazing."

Cole, looking surprised, nodded a little shyly but she encouraged him to explain his ideas for the songs to her, and he was soon talking animatedly and without hesitation. Beth excused herself politely to go get them some drinks, but neither one acknowledged her. Marianne looked up in surprise when Beth came back; she'd been so absorbed in the conversation that she'd forgotten they were in a club.

Beth was thoroughly ignored for the rest of the night, but for once, she didn't mind one bit. She was too happy for her friends. She'd known from the very start that they would like each other; Marianne had just been too stubborn and preoccupied to listen. Beth was glad Marianne had come to her senses; finally.

Beth looked over to the right, and saw Robert and Harriet seemingly engaged in very interesting conversation as well. And though she was a little miffed at Robert for his stunt, she couldn't help but be happy for them too.

She had to suppress the huge smile that was fighting to break out across her face. For once, things seemed to be going right. She clapped as the young woman on stage finished a song. It was turning out to be a wonderful night.

* * *

Beth was walking back from the corner store after class, a bag with some toothpaste swinging in one hand. She simply couldn't shake the feeling that the sleek black car on the road next to her was driving much too slowly. Was it following her?

Before she could think about how paranoid that thought was, the back window rolled down.

"Elizabeth Bennet, I need to have a word with you."

Beth stopped, gaping. She blinked and shook her head. It was all a dream, right? She walked forward toward the car and peered in the window. With great shock, she recognized Catherine Bourgh sitting in the interior.

"Well hurry up and get in. I haven't got all day," Catherine barked from inside the car. _Definitely_ not a dream, Beth realized. Not knowing what else to do, Beth opened the car door and slid in next to Catherine Bourgh.


	17. Unchanged affections and wishes

_Shine_

By Luna

Chapter 17**: **Unchanged affections and wishes

* * *

"Drive," Catherine said to the man in the front seat as Beth buckled her seat belt. The driver turned the corner, and Beth stared at Catherine in perplexity; she didn't know what was going on. She'd thought perhaps Catherine was carrying a message from Carla. But as the silence dragged on it soon became apparent that there was no message. Beth didn't know what to say. The silence was extremely uncomfortable.

"I've come to talk with you. I thought it was best we did it in person," Catherine started severely. Beth noticed for the first time that she had a gold pen in her hand. "I'm sure you know _exactly_ what I am speaking about."

Beth's mouth dropped, and she shifted uncomfortably. Catherine had come from San Francisco to talk to _her_?

Beth shook her head. "I'm sorry, _what_?"

Catherine eyed her with displeasure. "I cannot believe you are feigning innocence. I want to discuss this matter like adults, so I'll be frank. I expect you to be the same." She paused and narrowed her cold blue eyes. "How much do you want?"

Beth could only stare. Catherine was holding the pen because there was already an open checkbook on her lap. Beth couldn't believe Catherine was asking what Beth thought she was asking. Beth began to speak indignantly, but Catherine cut her off.

"Honestly, I expected better of you. _How much money do you want?_ Any sum you could think of would be a trifle to me, so let's get this over with. A few weeks ago I caught wind of a scandalous rumor concerning my _nephew_—and _you_. I'm sure you can imagine my surprise. I was _upset_ at first at the thought of a serious relationship, but I realize now how silly that was. I understand things entirely; it all boils down to money, naturally. William is rich and quite handsome. Girls have used him for his money and his connections before; I'm just trying to speed up the process. You are somewhat attractive and obviously intelligent, and I can almost see why William would have made the mistake of trusting you." Catherine shook her head and sighed.

"So I'm going to ask again, how much do you want? Obviously you're after his money; I'm willing to pay you a large sum so you will stop distracting William. A relationship with the likes of you is the last thing he needs. Who are you? Who is your family? You're no one. It goes against everything I have ever taught him. He must consider all relationships prudently. He owes it to the family."

Beth could not believe what she was hearing. She stared in outrage.

"_Excuse_ me?" she shook her head. "I don't know _who_ you think you are, but—" Catherine cut her off.

"_I_ am Catherine Bourgh. _I_ am the closest thing to a mother that William has. _I_ have a say in this matter. _I_ refuse to let William throw his future away by entering into a relationship with you. I forbid it."

Beth was fuming. "_Throwing away his future?_ Like he's slumming it with me? I'm not a leper or some kind of criminal, for christ sake. My father's a _doctor; _we live next door to the Bingleys. We don't have billions of dollars, but I'm not some trash that Will found in the gutter. And I am _not_ interested in your money," Beth sputtered. She was so angry she couldn't think. Catherine was so off base!

Catherine stared at Beth with something like confusion; the encounter was not going at all as she had planned. She narrowed her eyes. "You're not interested in the money?" she asked, with disbelief. "Why would someone like_ you_ be dating William if not for the money?"

Beth narrowed her eyes. _Money_! She never thought about Will's money. _Never_. She liked him because he was nice, and kind, and generous. She liked him because he was genuine and caring. She hardly ever connected the heir to the Darcy fortune with the Will she knew. She was disgusted that anyone could think that poorly of her.

Beth clenched her jaw, and looked away. "That's none of your business," she managed to spit out. She knew by avoiding answering the question she would only make Catherine angry, and what Beth wanted most at that moment was to be as difficult as possible.

"Everything concerning William is my business!" Catherine cried, angrily. "I never would have allowed him to..." she shook her head, and trailed off. "You are entirely unsuited for my nephew."

"This meeting is _over_. I think I've been insulted enough. Pull over and let me out. _Now._" Beth looked at Catherine with disdain. The woman wasn't worth the time it would take to explain the situation, and Beth knew that no matter what she said, Catherine would never believe that she was not using Will.

As the car pulled over to the curb, Beth opened the door to leave.

"No! I must know the truth. Are you romantically involved with my nephew?"

Beth scooted out of the car and glared at Catherine. "No! Will and I are friends. Are you happy? I'm not dating Will!"

Catherine sighed with relief, placing her hand over her heart. "Oh, thank god. I _knew_ he knew better than that." She looked directly at Beth again. "You _must_ promise me that you will never become involved with my nephew."

Beth huffed again in outraged amusement. The nerve of this woman! "You're crazy. I'm not promising you anything."

"You silly girl! Be reasonable. Is this what I get for being so hospitable to you last spring? I thought you had some sense. I'm not leaving here until you promise."

Beth almost laughed. "You're going to be here for one hell of a long time. You can't bully me into promising something so ridiculous. This is between Will and me. It has absolutely nothing to do with _you_ or your opinions."

"How can you be so stubborn! I don't understand your motives at all. I can understand using someone for their money. But you—"

Beth cut her off. "As I said, I think I've been insulted enough for one day. I'm _leaving_." She slammed the door, but couldn't resist getting in one last word through the window.  
"And by the way, some people actually do care for each other, genuinely. Not everything is about money. And Will is the kindest and most caring person I've ever met...but I'm sure you knew that already," she finished sarcastically. She waved off Catherine's attempts to speak and walked away.

She couldn't believe she had ever thought that Will and Catherine were alike. Catherine was like a whole other species!

* * *

Will swiveled in his chair at the loud knock on his door and then stood up in astonishment.

"Aunt Catherine! What—"

She cut him off. "Hello, William," she said, sounding extremely displeased.

"What are you doing here?" he asked with complete bewilderment. Catherine _never_ left San Francisco.

She narrowed her icy blue eyes dangerously. "I came to clear up a most unsettling matter, but unfortunately _that_ did not happen."

Will furrowed his brow. "I don't understand," he said, sinking back down into his chair. He was wondering if Rich had played some kind of joke on him, sending Catherine out to visit without his knowledge. It seemed exactly the type of prank he would play. Will was suddenly itching to punch his cousin in the face. Sending Catherine was a dirty trick, as Rich would have known. Will reached for his phone, preparing to leave his cousin a very angry voicemail.

Catherine huffed angrily. She threw her coat and purse down on the couch and began to pace. She was obviously agitated. Will didn't think he had seen her so unsettled, even when she'd learned about Anna's addiction. "If you must know, I came here to discuss something with Elizabeth Bennet."

"_What_?" he cried, unsure if he had heard correctly. All thoughts of Rich suddenly flew from his head.

"Yes, and it was a complete fiasco. What an obstinate, headstrong girl! She was so disrespectful…"

Will shook his head several times; nothing was making any sense.

"Wait—wait. _What_?"

"I was prepared to write her off with a check. I simply asked her how much money she was really after, and she proceeded to _argue_ with me. She acted like I had insulted her _morals_ or something."

"You did _**what**_?" Will asked, feeling like a broken record. Catherine wasn't paying the least bit of attention to him.

She fixed her cold blue eyes upon him. "I asked her if you were romantically involved, and asked her to promise me that she would never become so. She was unaccountably rude!"

"Oh my god," Will groaned, his hands over his face. He could not believe what he was hearing. Ever since his mother had died, Catherine had been a strong presence in his life. He knew it wasn't so much that she cared as that she felt it was her duty. And apparently it had been her duty to insult Beth in every way imaginable. He sighed heavily. "What did she say?" he asked, half afraid of the answer.

Catherine's eyes sparked with anger. "She spouted off some nonsense about genuine feelings and _actually_ caring. Rubbish. She admitted that you were not together, as it is obviously _impossible_, but she _refused_ to promise to never become involved with you."

Will looked off to the side. "Actually caring…?" he trailed off thoughtfully.

"Can you imagine?" Catherine said, mistaking his meaning. "I don't know what she could be thinking or who she thought she was speaking to. William!" she said sharply, noticing for the first time that he was not paying her the slightest attention. She'd expected him to be riveted in his seat, as outraged as she was.

"What were you saying?" he asked dazedly. Catherine repeated herself, and making sure that he nodded in the right places, he tuned out her tirade against Beth. He had something much bigger to ponder on.

"William," Catherine said stonily, after she'd finished ranting. "You must promise me you'll stay away from that girl. You can't have these rumors circulating about. You must promise me that you'll never become involved with her."

Will was not surprised or affronted. He'd been expecting Catherine to say something like that since he'd learned of the reason for her visit. His expression as he answered was calm and blank, and only the slightest of smiles betrayed his amusement.

"No," he said simply.

"_No_?" Catherine screeched in amazement.

"No," Will repeated, bemused.

"But—but—but," Catherine sputtered. "You _can't_ be serious. Are you out of your _senses_? What has that girl done to you? I expected you to be more reasonable."

"I am being reasonable," he stated, calmly. "I can't promise that to you any more than Beth could. After all, you never know what could happen. You never know…"

* * *

"Come on, now. You can do better than that," Beth teased. "Are you trying to let me win on purpose?" She looked at Will and raised her eyebrows.

"The game's not over yet, and there's no way I'm letting you win," he shot back. His eyes were focused intently on the paper football he was preparing to flick toward the fingers Beth held up to form a field goal.

Beth had been working in the office when Will walked in and sat across from her desk. She'd thought maybe he'd come to visit one of his professors, but it soon became apparent that he'd just wanted to spend time with her. It was a day after her run in with Catherine, and though Beth had been extremely angry at the time, she'd come to terms with the meeting.

She could see how Catherine had had Will's best interest in mind, even though she had gone about everything all wrong. Beth had decided not the mention the encounter to him. After all, if her mother had acted in that way, she definitely wouldn't want to hear about it. It would be mortifying. She decided it was best if he never knew about the meeting.

He walked into the office and sat across from her at the desk, much like he had last semester, only now Beth was so much more aware of him. She had the nervous habit of fiddling with whatever was in her hands, and she'd absentmindedly folded the paper football while they talked. It wasn't long before they playfully began flicking it back and forth. Unsurprisingly, it had turned into a competitive match.

The paper flew directly between Beth's fingers, and Will flashed a bright smile. Beth tried to smother it, but she couldn't resist smiling back at him. "Lucky shot," she muttered, and he laughed.

"That makes the score tied, doesn't it?" he asked innocently, and Beth narrowed her eyes.

"Just wait," she said, preparing to take her shot. Will laughed again. She wondered if he knew just how distracting that smile was. The fact that their knees were almost touching under the desk didn't help matters either. She was finding it harder and harder to concentrate on the game. Before she got the chance to take her turn, however, Robert Martin walked into the office and gave her an awkward wave. She sat back in her chair slightly.

"Robert. Hello," she said coolly. She hadn't totally forgiven him for his stunt. Will turned slightly to look at who had just entered the office.

Robert looked nervous as he walked closer. He took a deep breath. "Hi, Beth. I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry about the other night. I know it was wrong of me to kiss you like that in the club."

Beth's mouth dropped open, and she felt her cheeks begin to burn with embarrassment. She'd thought she'd gotten away with no one knowing about the whole thing, but Robert had just gone and blurted it out around the _one_ person she _really_ did not want to know about it. She cringed and swallowed.

"Oh, uh..." was the only reply Beth could muster.

"Sorry about the whole thing." He looked sheepish. "And just—just thanks. Harriet and I are grateful." He smiled. "See you around." He gave the same little wave and walked off.

Beth felt like rolling up in a ball on the ground and dying. She had to repress a groan. Biting the corner of her lip in distress, she sneaked a quick glance at Will. He wasn't looking at her, but absently twirling a pen. She couldn't read anything in his expression; his face was totally blank. One thing was for sure; he certainly wasn't smiling any longer.

She cleared her throat slightly and Will looked up, giving her a brief smile. They had been having a wonderful afternoon, and she felt like it had all just been ruined. She didn't know what to do. She felt like she had to explain the circumstances of the kiss, but she didn't know how to start. An awkward silence loomed between them.

Beth was saved as a professor walked out and handed her a book to make copies of. She was happy to do anything as long as it got her out of the current situation.

"I've got to run," Will said suddenly, as he stood to leave. After a moment, Beth nodded.

"Okay. See you later."

Will turned to the door, and Beth headed toward the copier.

"Damn it," Beth muttered under her breath, closing her eyes in embarrassment. She shook her head as she opened the copier lid and laid the book down. She couldn't believe it. He hadn't said _anything_. It was like he didn't care_._

* * *

Beth yawned as she exited the science building. As always after her chemistry lab, she felt mentally exhausted. Calculating the standard enthalpies of formation became rather trying after a while. The early evening sun was hanging low in the sky as Beth made her way back to the center of campus. It was Friday evening, and she had the whole night in front of her. She sighed happily. She had a lot of work to do over the weekend, but she was going to take the night off to have some fun. She needed a break.

Her phone beeped several times, loudly, and Beth pulled it from her pocket to see that she'd received a text from Marianne.

**Cole is coming over. Don't come back for several hours, please and thanks. XOXOOOO**

Beth rolled her eyes, shoving her phone back deep in her pocket. After that night at the club, the romance between Cole and Marianne had grown exponentially. She was very happy for her friends finding each other, but it was still a bit annoying. _Now_ she was exiled from her room, when all she really wanted to do was pop in a DVD and laze about.

She tried to think of what to do next. She needed to find somewhere to stay for a while. She was sure Emma was busy; it was a Friday night after all. After the whole rumor spreading incident, Beth hadn't been very friendly with the people on her floor, so she couldn't go to one of them either. She furrowed her brow. She could, of course, go spend time with Will.

She hadn't seen him since the office incidence with Robert. She hoped things wouldn't be awkward between them. She shrugged and hiked her backpack up on her shoulders. Awkward or not, she didn't have many other options.

The walk to his dorm was chilly. Beth immediately regretted not bringing a jacket to class. It had been much warmer when she'd been out that afternoon. She simply wrapped her arms around herself and quickened her pace. Beth looked at the small buds on the tree limbs with a smile. Spring was coming soon, and she couldn't wait for the warm weather. By the time she reached Will's dorm, she was having a hard time keeping her teeth from chattering; both of her arms were covered in goosebumps.

As she made her way up the stairs, Beth worried that she should have called him first before rushing over. She was relieved to find his door open. She had been afraid that he would be out. She had to laugh at the sight that greeted her; he was obviously bored. He had music on, mildly loud, and was pacing across his room cradling a lacrosse ball back and forth with his lacrosse stick. He turned at the sound of her laughter, looking extremely surprised.

"Beth!" He blinked and dropped the ball.

She laughed. "Smooth. And they made you captain?" He laughed and tossed his lacrosse stick onto his bed. "I know; what were they thinking?" he said, playing along. He tugged absently on the sleeve of his t-shirt, still looking surprised to see her.

She perched on the door frame and gave him a look.

He cocked an eyebrow. "What?"

"Do you always make guests wait outside in the hallway?" she playfully scolded

He laughed for a moment. "Would you like to come in?"

Beth smiled brightly. "Yes I would, thanks." He offered her a seat on the couch. "You don't have to wait for an invitation you know; you're always welcome."

Beth shot a quick glance at him. There had been something in his tone that she hadn't heard for a while. The low sound of his voice made her heart speed up, but Will was looking away and busy making the music on his computer play a bit softer. Beth wondered if she'd only imagined it.

"Sorry for barging in on you. I hope you weren't busy or planning on going out. Cole and Marianne have exiled me from my room." She paused, and Will didn't respond, so she continued babbling nervously. She felt so stupid for barging in on him. "You _were_ going out, weren't you. Of course. I'm sorry. I can find someplace else—"

"Whoa, no, it's fine." He interrupted quickly. "I didn't have any plans. I want you to stay."

Beth blinked, a light flush creeping into her cheeks. He'd done it again with the tone. She was almost afraid to look at him, but he was only leaning nonchalantly against his desk. Something in her chest tightened slightly. "Okay," she managed to say, and then she shivered, still cold from her walk.

"Do you want a sweatshirt?" Will asked, and Beth nodded gratefully.

"I forgot to wear a jacket to class. When I left, I didn't need one, but now it's really cold." He rummaged through his closet for a moment. She took the sweatshirt he handed her and slipped it on, inhaling. It smelled just like him. Will took a look at her and began to laugh.

"_What_?"

He only laughed more. "I suppose I could have picked a smaller shirt; that one _really_ doesn't fit you."

"It's not my fault you're so big..."

Beth had to laugh at herself too. The sweatshirt was comically large on her. It reached down to her knees, and the sleeves extended half a foot past her fingertips. It was like a dress. She couldn't imagine ever being big enough to fill it out, but, then again, Will did, and he didn't look so bad.

Will perched against his desk again, crossing his arms.

"I never got to hear about New York," Beth said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She realized, suddenly, that it was the first time they had been alone all semester. One thing or another had been keeping them from spending any time together. "I want to know all about it."

Will smiled and sat down in his desk chair, rolling closer to her. "I don't really know where to start."

Beth gave him a smile. "How about...food. What's the best restaurant you ate at?"

Will groaned slightly, as though in remembrance of wonderful food. "That's easy..."

* * *

Beth decided she rather liked the fact that Will could not stay still; he rolled about all over the room in his chair as he told stories.

"That's amazing," she said as he finished a story. "I can't wait to do an internship. School was so boring last semester! And it was winter so I was always inside. There wasn't anything to do except spend time with friends, I guess."

"And with Robert." He said it so slyly that she nodded, not realizing what he had said.

"Wait—_what_?" she asked, finally catching on. He looked entirely too innocent. "Oh no, no, no. No, no, no, _no._ Robert and I—we're not—I don't even know him, really. We're barely even acquaintances." She knew she was blushing and tried to calm down.

"Oh, sorry. My mistake," he said, rolling around distractedly. He didn't seem sorry at all. Beth suddenly wondered if _that_ was the reason he had acted so strangely the day before. He'd heard what Robert had said and had assumed the worst. It all made sense. She _knew_ she should have explained it earlier. She couldn't blame him for misunderstanding the situation. After all, if _she'd_ heard that Will had been kissing some girl, she would _not_ have been a very happy camper.

She caught a chill and shivered violently. She was sitting cross-legged on the couch and simply stuffed the shirt over her knees.

"Are you still cold?" Will asked. "I can get you a blanket, you know." He got up off his chair and walked over to the closet to grab her one. As he wrapped it around her shoulders, she motioned for him to sit down on the couch. She felt that he'd been far away from her the whole night. He complied and sat down next to her, his long legs splayed out, his arm draped over the back of the couch.

"Hi," she said softly, and he chuckled.

"Hi," he said, sounding amused. Beth was distracted; there was a piece of fuzz in his hair, probably from digging around in his closet for her.

"You've got…" she trailed off and reached up to get it, her hand resting longer than strictly necessary against his hair. She couldn't help it. The mirth in his eyes was instantly gone, she noticed, looking up at him. His eyes were so green, the pupils dilated wide.

She couldn't help watching his mouth, and she and Will were pulled together like magnets. She could feel their breath mingling, and it was such a powerful physical draw. He stopped just close enough to look her in the eyes; he seemed to be waiting for permission. She didn't hesitate; she closed the distance between their mouths.

Was that what she had been missing? No one could kiss like he did. With his mouth warm on hers, she lost all capabilities to think. She knew she was flushed, but it didn't matter. She brought her hands up, and they found their way into his hair.

She wanted to be closer. Sitting next to him wasn't enough. She turned and had to break the kiss, but in the next moment she had a fistful of his shirt and was pulling him forward. He easily followed her lead, and she landed with her back on the couch. Then they were kissing just as eagerly as before. She was about to wrap her legs around him when he broke the kiss and muttered something, before getting off. The crushing weight of his body, which had felt so nice, was suddenly gone. She stared up at him, dazed.

"Wait—" she said, thickly, unable to think. It was an exact reversal of what had happened the year before.

He seemed to be thinking just that. With his back turned and both hands on his head, Will was the picture of frustration. "I can't do this. Not if it's going to be like last time…" he muttered, turning around. "I can't do this anymore. I can't be your friend."

She blinked hard and tried to speak over the lump in her throat. "Do—do you want me to leave?" she asked quietly, still completely stunned.

He gaped at her. "Do I…? _No_, I don't want you to leave," He put a hand over his eyes. "That came out wrong. It always does with you." He took a deep breath and started over. "I don't want to be your friend because it isn't enough for me; it never has been. I can't concentrate when I'm around you. Every time I see you I want to kiss you."

He paced back and forth. "I thought it was obvious that my feelings for you aren't platonic; at _all_. Apparently not. And from the way you're looking at me, I think I probably shouldn't have said anything at all." He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "Okay, I lied. I would be happy to be friends with you if that's all you want, so—so just forget I said anything at all. I—"

She vaulted off the couch at that sentence. She'd been too surprised before that to move. She had the thought, just before she did it, that throwing herself at him might seem a tad desperate, but then she was in his arms and nothing else mattered. She felt his initial surprise, but then he returned the kiss. It was slow, and sweet, and so wonderful it made her ache. She felt her toes curl in surprised delight. She didn't ever want to stop kissing him, but they both broke it eventually from lack of air. He had her by the hips and she had fistfuls of his t-shirt.

"Glad we cleared that up," he said, his voice low, his mouth inches from hers.

"Mimphmhm," she muttered incoherently. And then he kissed her again. She couldn't get enough of him and the way he felt against her.

He pulled away suddenly, and Beth blinked in surprise.

"I have to ask you something."

She looked up at him, astounded. "You want to _talk_? Are you _crazy_?" She shook her head. "No talking." She pulled him down for another kiss and felt him smile against her lips.

"No…I'm…mmm…serious," was all he managed to get out. He tickled her side lightly, causing her to break away. "This has been bothering me for a year." And with a look that made her blush slightly, he added, "There'll be time for all th_a_t stuff later. So…last year, after…well, after Carla's I guess."

She looked away, blushing, and bit her lip. She hated thinking about that. She was so embarrassed about what she had said to him. "I wrote you a letter, and _obviously_ it made you change your mind, but how soon? When did you stop hating me?" he asked, and she cringed.

"Will, I didn't _hate_ you…"

He gave her a knowing look, and she cringed again. "_Fine_. I did hate you. I was young and confused, give me a break. But, as for the letter…" She trailed off, looking to the side. She could remember reading it, and how much regret and embarrassment ensued. The letter had completely changed her perspective.

"I read it on the plane ride home after Carla's, and so I guess it took a day. I couldn't hate you after reading that. I finally realized how prejudiced and _stupid_ I'd been acting. I'd had you pegged as something you weren't, and I hadn't ever been able to get over that. And then, when I met you here and you were so different, well…" She shrugged and smiled. "It was impossible not to like you."

"A day?" he asked, and she nodded, laughing slightly at his bright, pleased smile. "Good. That's actually much better than I thought."

"Is that _all_?" she asked, drawing out the last word. He nodded happily. "No more questions? Are we done talking?" she asked, watching his mouth.

"No more talking," he said, his voice wonderfully low, before pulling her into his arms for another kiss.


	18. The happiest creature in the world

_Shine_

By Luna

Chapter 18: The happiest creature in the world

* * *

Beth groaned in annoyance. There was that insistent, annoying beeping noise again. She wished it would just _stop_.

As she slowly woke up, she understood that the noise was coming from her phone. She tried to sit up and came to the realization that half of her hair was pinned under Will's shoulder. She didn't want to wake him up, so it took some effort to free herself.

She grabbed the first article of clothing from the floor that she could find, which happened to be the t-shirt he'd worn the night before, and she quietly walked across the room. The tiles were cold on her feet as she tried to locate her phone. She finally remembered that it was in the back pocket of her jeans. She grabbed it, and then she slowly climbed back into bed and sat cross-legged with her back against the headboard.

She had four missed calls and a growing number of texts, all from Marianne. Each one was growing more frantic, asking where Beth was. Beth rubbed her eyes tiredly. She felt terrible that Marianne was worried about her; she'd just forgotten for the last 24 hours that anything but Will existed. She quickly responded to one of Marianne's texts, saying she would be home soon. She didn't want to leave Will's room, but she knew she had to eventually. All of Beth's movement and the noises her phone were making must have woken Will, because he rolled over and propped himself up on an elbow.

Beth smiled shyly. The two of them combined had the worst cases of bed-head that she'd ever seen, but she couldn't seem to care. All of Will's hair was sticking out to one side.

"Morning," he said, his voice wonderfully scratchy and low. She laughed and reached over, trying to flatten his hair. It was futile. He flopped back down on the pillows, looking tired but content.

"Sorry for waking you up. I had to get my phone. Marianne's been worried sick, apparently. I think she thought that I'd been kidnapped."

He smiled, his eyes closed.

Beth couldn't help staring at him. She didn't think she would ever get tired of just looking at him. Her heart was beating uncomfortably fast. His breathing was even and slow, and she thought he'd fallen back asleep. The sun cut a sharp shadow across one impossibly broad shoulder. His hand was right next to her foot, and she traced a vein that ran down his hand and across his wrist bone.

"Will?" she asked, almost involuntarily.

His eyes popped open, and he squinted in the light, looking startled. "Yes?"

She had to ask him the question. She thought she already knew the answer, but with their propensity for miscommunications and misunderstandings, she couldn't let it dangle, unanswered. She had a knot of anxiety growing in her stomach; what if she was wrong? What if the night hadn't meant the same thing to him as it did to her? She stared at him a moment, her mouth open, and she finally took a deep breath. "Are we--I mean, are we dating now?"

He blinked and then smiled shyly. He sat up slightly, propping himself on his elbows. He ran a hand through his already disheveled hair. "I guess _I_ assumed we were. Do you want to be?" he finished, his tone uncertain.

She nodded emphatically. "Yeah! Yes. I do." She laughed lightly, and he sat up fully for the first time and stretched.

She noticed then the purple bruise he was sporting above his collar bone. It was entirely her fault. She bit her lip, trying to smother a smile. "Uh oh," she said.

He gave her a strange look. "What?"

Beth shook her head. "Nothing." He followed the line of her gaze and then looked across the room to a mirror. Beth quickly started to stand up from the bed as she saw the look that flashed across his face, which clearly implied payback. "I've gotta go home now," she said quickly, but he grabbed her by the waist, pulling her back before she could get away.

"Oh no you don't," he growled, and Beth laughed, allowing him to pull her under the covers. His mouth was hot on her neck, and she thought Marianne could probably wait for a little while longer.

* * *

She all but sprinted up the stairs once she finally made it back to her dorm. She'd never felt so exhilarated in her entire life. She stood outside her door for a minute and tried to compose herself.

She knew she would be an easy read. Marianne would take one look at her and know _exactly_ what had happened. She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to smooth it out some. It was still a terrible mess. She knew her goofy grin would give her away as well and tried to smother it. She promptly gave up. She took a deep breath and opened the door.

Marianne was sitting on her bed, and she took one long look at Beth. "Where have you been?"

Beth was about to respond but Marianne cut her off. "Do you know how worried I was about you? You went to lab and then you _never came back_. Was that some kind of payback for kicking you out of the room for an hour? Because--Is that Will's sweatshirt?" she gasped, suddenly. Beth was caught off guard by her rapid shift in mood. She'd gone from anger to bubbly excitement. "Don't tell me you...oh you _did_."

Beth raised her eyebrows, but said as casually as she could, "I don't know what you're talking about." She wanted to savor the moment a bit longer before she told her.

Marianne laughed then, clasping her hands together. "Don't play dumb. You finally got together, didn't you?" she asked with barely contained excitement.

Beth rolled her eyes, but nodded happily nonetheless. Marianne let out a whoop and ran over to give her a bear hug. "I'm so excited for you!" She pulled back slightly. "And _now_ I have to go call Cole because he owes me money."

"Marianne! You made a _bet_ with him about us?" Beth asked in disbelief, her eyes wide.

"_Oh_ yes. And he lost; thank goodness. I said you would hook-up this week, and he said it would be at least another month."

Beth huffed in indignant outrage, but Marianne merely pecked her on the cheek and skipped outside to the hallway to gloat to Cole in private.

Beth sat down on her bed. There was one other person that she had to tell the news to immediately. She quickly dialed Jane's number.

She began the conversation with, "So I have some news."

Jane laughed. "I figured. You're never up this early, so I knew it had to be something important. What's up?"

"I think you should probably be sitting down for this one." Beth realized, suddenly, how very little Jane knew about her life at school.

"Okay, I'm sitting. Tell me!"

Beth took one deep breath. "I'm officially dating Will Darcy."

There was a _long_, long pause on the other end of the phone. "Ha ha, Beth, but April Fool's isn't for another two weeks.

Beth put her hands over her eyes. It was going to be more difficult than she had anticipated.

After several minutes, she was finally able to convince Jane that she was being entirely serious.

"But _Will_? Beth, I didn't even think you were that good of _friends_. You're dating now? And you actually like him?"

Beth couldn't help laughing. "I really, _really_ like him."

"I'm happy for you because he's great, but—but the last I knew you _hated_ him. How did this all happen?"

Beth took a deep breath. "_That_ is a very long story. You're sure you want to hear it?"

Jane affirmed that she did, and Beth sat down on the bed.

"I don't really know where to begin. After the incident at Carla's he wrote me a letter explaining things. I had so many misconceptions of him. Everything I hated about him was based on lies that I had heard. I remember, I told you about all this." Jane nodded, and encouraged her to go on. "So, after the letter I didn't hate him anymore. I didn't _like_ him, but I didn't hate him. Then we met on my first day here and decided to start over, and then it was _horribly_ awkward and I always embarrassed myself every time we talked after that. But." She blushed slightly. "One night I got drunk at a party and he sort of took care of me—"

Jane was laughing, so Beth broke off.

"What?" she asked defensively. "It's not _that_ funny."

"Beth; only you. _That_ was the turning point in your relationship? That's classic."

"Shut up," Beth said, but she laughed at herself as well. "Some things you just can't go through and not be friends by the end. That's what happened with us. It's been growing ever since."

Jane smiled. "Since we met him I've thought this, but you would never let me say it; he seems like the perfect guy for you."

Beth was inclined to agree with that statement.

"So," she said, waggling her eyebrows. "I want to hear all about how things are going with Charles."

Jane groaned good-naturedly, but Beth only laughed. She had a feeling her days were going to be filled with laughter from now on.

* * *

Beth hurried up the steps to Will's dorm. She had a morning class to get to, and she wanted to make sure she gave Will back the sweatshirt he'd loaned her a few nights before. That was her avowed mission, anyway. In truth, she just wanted to see him.

His door was half open, and she knocked and stuck her head in. He was putting books into his backpack, but looked up at the sound of her knock and grinned. She smiled back happily. It still made her giddy to see him.

"Hey, come on in. I was getting ready to go down to breakfast if you want to come with me," he said.

Beth came into the room, closing the door behind her. She sagged her shoulders a little, disappointed. "I'd love to, but I can't. I have to go to my chemistry class. We're taking a test this morning."

"Yeah? That's okay. We can just meet later." He shrugged slightly, unconcerned. "I always liked chemistry; it was a fun class."

Beth nodded. "I like it a lot too." She remembered her mission. She put her book bag down on the floor and pulled out his sweatshirt. "I brought this back for you."

"I'd forgotten. Thanks." Will came over to take the sweatshirt from her. Their arms brushed as he did, and that was about all it took. The shirt was completely forgotten as he bent his head and kissed her.

They'd somehow gone from nice meaningless chatter to serious kissing in two seconds flat; it seemed to be their specialty. Grinning in surprised delight, Beth hooked her fingers into his belt loops and drew him closer.

She responded eagerly to the kiss, and they moved until her back was against the door, the length of his body pressed against the length of hers. One of his hands was running through her hair, and she was amazed at the effect it had on her. '_Forget class. Forget _everything_. I'll just stay here all day,_' she thought, dragging her hands up under his shirt.

His skin was warm to the touch. Realizing that they were dating, and that she had the right to see him shirtless whenever she wanted, she tugged at his shirt until she got it off. Meeting his mischievously glinting eyes, she arched an eyebrow, offing up a silent challenge. Her shirt soon followed his.

The coolness of the door against her back was quite a contrast to the warmth of his body. He moved down to kiss her neck, his hands rising up along her back, and Beth took it as an opportunity to try to catch her breath. She tilted her head back to allow him better access. She felt seriously unsteady from it all.

They both froze as they received a rather unwelcome reality check.

Someone was knocking on the door.

Beth was suddenly aware again of her fluttering pulse as it beat loudly in her ears. '_Maybe they have the wrong room, and if I don't move they'll go away…_' she thought desperately. Will seemed to be thinking the same thing, as his mouth was motionless on the crook of her neck.

"Will! Hey! Are you in there?" the voice called.

Beth groaned, letting her head fall back against the door in frustration, and Will sighed heavily, raising his head to rest it against the door. He rested his chin lightly on the top of her head. Beth was so tempted to kiss the hollow of his throat as it was right in her line of vision, and it, after all, looked extremely kissable. She sighed in resignation instead as the knocking and calling from outside became louder.

"You--you should answer it," she said, unsteadily.

He looked down at her in surprise. "What?"

She nodded slowly and tried to clear her throat. Her voice was much too husky for her own liking. "He probably needs your help, or something. You should answer it," she repeated.

He sighed, but stepped back. Regaining the use of her slightly unstable legs, she moved off the door.

A minute later, he opened the door a crack, so that whoever it was would be not able to see in.

"_What_ do you want?" he asked, rather uncivilly.

"Man, were you asleep or something?" the boy asked, but continued on hastily at Will's not so pleased glance. "We need your help," he finished quickly.

"It couldn't wait?" Will grumbled, and the boy shook his head.

"No. It's kind of urgent, actually. You have the keys to the storage room don't you? Can you bring them?"

Will rubbed a hand over his eyes, but walked over to his desk and grabbed the keys. He gave Beth an apologetic look before going out into the hallway. He shut the door quietly behind him.

Beth exhaled violently and ran her hands through her already disheveled hair. _What_ was she _doing_? She had class. She had a huge test to take, and she was now too flustered to even think straight. She couldn't keep the huge grin off her face; she _loved_ kissing him.

She groaned again. There was no doubt about it; she was going to fail her exam. She couldn't think of anything except how good it had all felt. She bent down to grab her shirt and put it on. She didn't want to, exactly, but she knew she had to. She knew that without enough physical distance between them she would not be making it to class at all. She walked across the room to sit down in the roller chair. It was, after all, the safest object in the room. The couch…no. The bed…_definitely_ not. The _roller_ chair…perfect.

However, she wasn't so sure of herself when he came back into the room. He was still shirtless. She realized then that his chest was probably going to destroy her academic career. She gave him a wry smile as he bent down to pick up his shirt. She knew exactly how he felt. Once they were both fully clothed again, she felt safe enough to get out of the chair.

"So, you have chemistry?" Will asked. It had taken him a while to remember what exactly they were talking about when she had first came in.

She nodded and walked over to him. She knew she was breaking the rule she had just made for herself, but she didn't care. She couldn't resist giving him a hug. They stood that way for a few minutes before he continued. "Can I walk you?"

Beth nodded, having to force herself to move away from him and his kissable throat. "Of course."

She didn't want to go to class; she didn't want to _move_, but she walked over and picked up her book bag anyway. As he opened the door and led her out with his hand on the small of her back, she sighed. She knew it was going to be one _hell_ of a long day.

* * *

And it was hell. She felt strung out and tense the entire day. She couldn't concentrate on anything; she would lose focus and get lost in a daydream, a silly smile on her face. What she needed was a good cold shower.

The friendly part of their relationship changed once they began dating. She had always liked talking with Will, but she'd never felt quite at ease doing it. She'd always been afraid that she would say something wrong or completely idiotic, and that he would stop talking to her. She'd been cautious when speaking with him.

At some point, the unease dropped away. It was as if the wall that had always been between them finally dropped. She felt more comfortable talking to him than any other boy she'd ever met. Even Cole couldn't compare.

The romantic part of their relationship was just the same as it always had been; intense.

But it was more than just lust with Will, although there was definitely that to contend with. When they were alone together, they couldn't keep their hands off each other. She couldn't explain it. They had chemistry; they were drawn to each other. But it was more than physical gratification. There was something else in him that she responded to. He had character and integrity. He was so _good_. It was those characteristics, as opposed to plain old lust that made her want to be with him.

She thought she might be in love with him.

The thought was completely ridiculous to her. She'd never been in love with anyone before, and for it to happen so soon…

But she couldn't get rid of that feeling. It was there in the little lurch her stomach gave when she saw him. It was there every time she saw him smile. It was there in the way she felt when he kissed her.

'_All right, fine. I love him. I am in love with Will_,' she thought as some time passed. She could admit it quite easily to herself. It wasn't hard. It was the truth, after all.

Now, the only problem was how to tell _him_.

Every time she saw him she wanted to tell him how she felt. Worries and anxieties kept her from saying anything, however. She worried he wouldn't feel the same, or that she would appear too clingy; smothering him with too much too soon. She didn't want to drive him away. She kept quiet. She decided she would tell him once more time had passed. She would tell him when the time was right.

She found it amusing that while they weren't dating, everyone assumed they were, and once they finally began dating, everyone thought they weren't. They'd had lunches together, and gone out on dates in town, but they went to a casual party on campus for their first _Pemberley_ appearance.

As soon as they arrived she wished they hadn't come at all. The music seemed too loud, and people were shouting and being loud and annoying, and nearly everyone there was drunk. It was extremely rowdy.

Beth wondered what she was doing there at such a raucous party when all she really wanted to do was be alone with Will.

He stood beside her, his arm protectively around her waist. Beth closed her eyes as he leaned down to kiss her temple softly. She knew then they wouldn't be staying at the party for very long.

Less than a minute later she took his wrist and led him outside.

"I hope you didn't want to stay," she said as they walked out.

"No, it's fine. I wasn't all that interested in it."

She nodded. They walked in a pleasant silence back to the center of campus. They had all night to do whatever they wanted.

"So what now?" Will asked pleasantly as they reached the center of campus. There was equal distance between his dorm and hers.

"We could go back to your room." She forced herself not to blush as she said it, and tried to be as nonchalant as possible. Will gave her a quick sideways glance and then looked back straight ahead. They both knew she wasn't talking about going back to his place for a nice chat.

"All right," he said calmly, but she still caught the grin he was starting to repress. She punched his shoulder lightly, but she couldn't help grinning either.

And it _was_ right. She was young, she was with the one person she wanted to be with, and she loved him. Even is she couldn't _tell_ him, she could still show him.

* * *

The last weeks of school flew by. She couldn't wait for school to end, but at the same time she was terribly sad to say goodbye to everyone for the summer. She made Cole and Marianne promise to email her. Her mother made her ask Will to promise something else.

"When are you coming to see me this summer?" she asked as they piled the last of her belongings into the car. Jane had made the trip up to get her, and was waiting patiently in the driver's seat so that Beth and Will could say goodbye.

Will blinked in surprise. Beth had delayed bringing the subject up for as long as possible. Indeed, she had waited until the very last moment. He recovered quickly from the surprise and said smoothly, "When do you want me to come visit?"

She laughed. She'd decided long ago that he was too cute for his own good. "My mother is making me ask you. I think she doesn't really believe I have a boyfriend. I have to bring home proof. I know it'll have to be pretty soon because you have that internship in July—so how about in two weeks? You can stay as long as you want."

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh, can I now? Who said that, you or your mother?"

She grinned. "That was _my_ idea."

"Then I agree—but on one condition."

"And what's that?"

"You have to come visit me, as well."

Beth eyed him warily. "As long as your aunt's not around."

He laughed and pulled her into his arms. "I promise she won't be there. She doesn't visit much. Rich and Anna will be there as well as my aunt and uncle whom you've never met, but they'll love you, so that doesn't matter."

"Well that settles it. I'll have to visit just to see Rich." She smiled innocently as she said it. She knew it would get to him.

Will rolled his eyes. "You always did like him." He looked as though he was about to pout.

She nodded emphatically and then smiled. "But I like you more…"

"Is that so?" he asked, and she knew he was going to kiss her. It probably would have gone on for some time, but Jane stuck her head out the window.

"Sorry, Beth, but I think we really have to get going if we want to make it home before midnight."

Beth broke away reluctantly. "I'll call you when I get home," she said, and he nodded.

She looked over her shoulder at the car and then stood on her toes to give him a quick kiss.

"'Bye."

He nodded and let her step back out of his arms. "Goodbye."

She climbed into the passenger seat and waved as they drove off. She didn't like leaving him.

"It's very weird, Beth."

"Hmm?" Beth said. She'd been watching Will get smaller and smaller in the mirror.

Jane looked sheepish and laughed. "The last time I saw you two together, you _really _hated him. And now you're making out with him—my brain doesn't know what to do."

They both laughed at that. Beth smirked. "You should tell your brain to get used to it; I think I'll be kissing Will for a very long time to come."

Coming back home was interesting to say the least. She enjoyed being home. She loved being with her father and sisters again, but somehow it wasn't the same as it had been. She didn't know when it had happened, but at some point she'd started to think of her room at school as home. She felt out of place. She felt like she fit more at Pemberley. The town she'd grown up in was no longer her home.

Everything was the same at her house, except in regards to Lydia. She wasn't home yet from the program, and the house seemed so quiet with her stomping around her room.

She couldn't wait to see Will again. She missed him. She called him every few days when she needed to hear his voice again, and they planned out the details of his visit.

She was thoroughly excited when the day of his arrival finally came. She went to the airport _way_ too early, but she'd been too excited to stay in the house any longer. She waited rather impatiently for his flight to get in.

Will still managed to catch her by surprise. She was watching for him to come from one direction, and he came from another.

"Looking for someone?" he asked. His voice was low and sultry in her ear. The voice she had missed so much was suddenly right next to her. She whirled around to look at Will in surprise. She decided he looked far too smug about sneaking up on her. She narrowed her eyes and pulled him down for one long, slow, lip-smacking kiss. She pulled away as abruptly as she'd started, and he looked down dazedly at her. She was pleased to see he no longer looked smug.

"No, I just decided to hang around the airport all day," she said in response to his earlier question. "Are you ready to go?" she asked, as though she had not just kissed the living daylights out of him.

He blinked and then shook himself slightly. "Sure."

She smiled as they walked out to the car. It felt nice to be around him again. They caught up with the details of each other's lives, and Beth tried to prepare him for the horrible lunch experience he was about to have.

"Okay, here's the situation," she explained as she drove back to her house. "My mother is crazy, and she's going to lose what's left of her mind over you, so be prepared for that."

Will rubbed his hand over his eyes. "Oh, jeeze."

"Yes, I know. I'm sorry you have to go through all this. My dad's usually good with this kind of stuff, so we don't have to worry about him. Jane you know so there's no problem there and Lydia's still in rehab so we don't have to worry about her, either."

"Anything else I should know?"

Beth bit her lip as she pulled into the driveway. "No, I think that's about it."

She was _beyond_ nervous. She was a walking ball of anxiety. She was joking with him and being cavalier because she was afraid he would walk in, spend one minute with her mother and walk right back out saying, 'Sorry, but nothing's worth all this.'

The car was suddenly silent as she turned the engine off. She savored the tranquility of the car; she was sure there wouldn't be any peace _whatsoever_ for the length of Will's stay. She sat still, making no attempt to move. She was having a hard time making herself get out. "We don't have to go in, you know," she said hopefully. "I can drive us somewhere else…"

He put a reassuring hand on hers. "Beth, it can't be _that_ bad."

"You don't know my family."

"Beth," he said quietly, and she finally looked over at him. "We'll have to face it sooner or later. Let's get it over with."

She managed a faint smile. "Okay. Let's do it." She took her time getting out of the car and walked slowly to the door.

She sighed heavily and gave one last long look to Will before leading him inside.

Her mother immediately pounced on them as they walked in.

"Oh Beth! You're here! And oh! Is this him? Oh! Oh my goodness!" The pitch got higher and higher as Fanny went on, and she fluttered her hands excitedly.

Beth shut her eyes then because it was too awful. It was worse than she'd imagined. She thought her mother might break out into hysterical tears; she was fawning over them _that_ much. She couldn't look at Will; she didn't want to know what he was thinking.

Fanny's noise attracted all the other family members to the foyer. Jane came in from the living room. It was pandemonium. All the Bennet women were talking at once, and the little hall was nearly bursting with the noise. Will was handling it all well. Beth thought he even looked a little amused. Beth couldn't take it quite the same way; she felt like she was going to die from embarrassment.

Finally her father came out from his study and managed to quiet things down by sending Jane off to set the table and Fanny off to the kitchen to check on lunch. Beth smiled gratefully at him as it finally quieted down. The three of them were left standing alone, and she could finally hear herself think again.

"Dad, this is Will Darcy. Will, this is my father," she introduced them, and they shook hands. She thought that perhaps the whole lunch wasn't going to be a disaster, until her father started speaking again.

"I hear you attend Pemberley, as well," her father stated.

Will nodded and smiled. "That's right."

"What are you majoring in? Rocket Science? "

Beth nearly groaned aloud. She couldn't believe he'd asked that. It'd been his private little joke for years, but she'd never thought he would actually _say_ it in front of anyone she brought home. Beth thought that he might as well take out the naked baby pictures. She couldn't have been more mortified

Will furrowed his brow and blinked in confusion. "No. Business management and economics, actually."

Her father nodded. "Yes, those sound like very good majors."

They continued to make idle conversation for a few minutes, and then Will asked, "Do you need any help with lunch?" and Beth could have kissed him right then and there because even though the whole thing was awful and awkward he was still being a gentleman about it.

Thomas directed him to the dining room and then placed an arm around his daughter's shoulders.

"Dad, I can't believe you said that."

"I'm sorry, dear. I have to say I'm a little disappointed in you. I can't say I approve of this one; he's not a rocket scientist at all," he teased.

"Dad," she protested, rolling her eyes.

"I suppose if _you_ like him I can let that part slide. He's fine otherwise."

"Good, because I do like him."

"Fair enough; I take it back. I do approve of him. In fact, I think I might even grow to like him." He squeezed her shoulder slightly and led her to the dining room.

Lunch was horrible. It was possibly one of the most embarrassing moments of her life. Beth could barely eat because she was so nervous. She had to be on constant guard to keep her mother from saying anything tactless. Beth wanted it to all be _over_, but her mother kept drawing it out with pointless stories and inappropriate questions. She tried, with the help of Jane, to keep the conversation from certain topics, but there were many awkward pauses.

As soon as lunch was pronounced over, Beth grabbed Will and nearly dragged him outside. She couldn't stand being with her family for one second longer.

"I'm so sorry. That was horrible. My mother, she's terrible. She has no manners. I wanted to put my hand over her mouth every time she spoke because I knew it would be something horribly wrong. I'm so sorry you had to go through that. I don't know what to say. I fully understand if you never want to come back here and see any of my family again, including me, because that was so—"

He'd tried to interrupt her several times, but she had gone on right over him, so he finally leaned down and kissed her.

Beth inhaled in surprise and then relaxed against him. Her anxieties slowly drifted away because, apparently, even after all of that, he still wanted her.

He pulled away, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Don't worry about it. Consider it payback for the way my aunt acted. We have horrible relatives; we can't avoid that. It doesn't matter."

She looked away and then smiled faintly. "You're right. It doesn't matter." After a kiss like that, she'd go along with anything he said.

"What are our plans now?"

She blinked. She hadn't really been thinking as she'd pulled him outside. She'd just wanted to get as far away from her family as possible. She quickly thought of an idea.

"The State Fair is in town. We could go to that, if you wanted to see it. I haven't been in a couple years. I remember though, there's this one stand that has _amazing_ ice cream—"

"You're hungry?" he asked with surprise. "We just ate lunch."

"Yeah, but _I_ didn't eat anything. I was too nervous. And you're always hungry."

He laughed, looking down at her with amusement. "All right, let's go get some ice cream."

"You see," Beth said as they walked away from the stand. Will was eating his ice cream out of a dish, and she held a cone stacked precariously high with two scoops of ice cream. "It's amazing, isn't it?"

He shrugged nonchalantly, taking another spoonful. "It's all right."

"You are such a liar. That is, without a doubt, the best ice cream you've ever had. Admit it—"

While she was speaking, a fellow pedestrian jostled her arm accidentally and sent the ice cream cone flying down to the ground with a sickening plop. She stared at it for a few moments in horror and dismay.

She pouted as she looked down at her ruined ice cream cone. It was already beginning to melt in the heat. She could hear Will beside her trying and failing to hide his laughter. She looked over to him slyly. "Will," she asked, drawing his name out. She smiled innocently. "What flavor did you get?"

"Hey, wait a second—" he protested, but he let her take the bowl.

"Ha! See? You didn't want to give it up," she said. "That's because it's the best ice cream in the world. But you are very wonderful for letting me have yours. I promise to be extra nice to you the whole day."

"I love you."

Beth stopped and stared at him, her stomach gave an odd flip, and she forgot about all the people walking around them because he was serious.

He looked down, embarrassed, and then laughed slightly. "I didn't mean to blurt it out like that—but I meant it." He rubbed nervously behind one ear. "You—you don't have to say anything back. I just thought you should know. I love you; bad family and all."

Beth felt the teeniest bit like crying just because he never did what she expected. She stood for a moment and then broke out into a smile before going up on her toes to kiss him. The kiss was nice because he was surprised, and because he tasted like ice cream and something else she couldn't ever describe except as 'Will', and because she felt happier than she had in her entire life.

She broke away, smiling. She decided she liked it this way; saying it out of the blue. To tell the truth it wasn't that much of a surprise anyway. She knew he loved her. She'd known for a long time.

She smiled again. "I love you."

It really was so simple after all. She wondered why she had worried about it at all in the first place. She watched the elusive dimples appear as he smiled, and then she held up the bowl.

"Ice cream?" she asked.

He shook his head and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and they continued their walk. Nothing had changed, really, Beth thought. It was merely a matter of stating the obvious.

It really hit her then that her first year of college was over. It had seemed so surreal. She hadn't really thought about it being over.

It was.

She was glad it was over, certainly. It had been _hard_. She felt almost brain dead from all the end of the year finals. But many amazing things had happened as well. She'd learned so much and not just about school. She'd met Marianne and Cole and Emma. '_And you met Will_,' she thought, looking up at him, and that was worth taking a final any day. Though she'd known him before they'd run into each other at school, she always thought of it as 'meeting' him at Pemberley. That's where it really all began.

She smiled because she could see the future ahead of her. She would go back next year and learn more, and meet new people, and be happy with Will. It would be the same the next year, and the next, and eventually she would get her degree, and through that all Will would be with her because they loved each other; it was that simple.

And in the end, that was really all that mattered.


	19. Epilogue

**Shine **

**Epilogue **

_**Five years later…**_

Beth groaned and threw an arm over her eyes to block out the early morning light.

"Will," she growled. "_Why_ do you always get up so _early_?" On weekends she liked to indulge herself and usually slept in. Will, on the other hand was always up, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed by 6:30.

He smiled. "Sorry. Habit, I guess." He sat down on the bed to put on his socks and running shoes, and she rolled over to face him muttering, "So inconvenient."

He smirked. "What, are your toes cold?"

Beth had to suppress a grin. She couldn't fall asleep with socks on, and as a result her feet were usually pretty chilly by morning. Will's long legs provided an _excellent_ source to thaw her toes on.

"No…" she began petulantly, but broke off as it was obvious she was lying and shrugged. He knew her too well. She abandoned all pretenses of sleeping for the moment and propped herself up on the pillow.

"You want to come run with me?" he asked, but she shook her head no. She would have to do a dead sprint the entire way just to keep up with his jog.

"Thanks, but no. Hey," she began, and he looked up from tying his shoes. "I'm going to make a big fancy dinner tonight to make up for the horrible one I made on your birthday."

He laughed. "Beth, you don't have to do that…"

She interrupted him. "No, but I want to. I don't know how you managed to eat a full helping that night; the food was absolutely disgusting. I don't know what happened. Somehow it all turned out like mush, but I'm going to make up for it."

Will gave her a calculating look and then quickly bent down to tie his shoe, lost in thought. "So you're making dinner here?" he asked, after a minute of silence, and she nodded.

"Yeah. Your kitchen is way nicer than mine anyway." Beth shared a town-house with Marianne and Cole, and the appliances in Will's kitchen were decidedly better than her own.

She was surprised by Will's sudden change in demeanor. Only a few minutes earlier he had been happy and had joked with her. He now seemed very distracted and not at all happy. She wondered what he was thinking about and what had caused the mood change. He leaned down to kiss her forehead absently, more out of habit than anything else, and headed to the door.

"I'll see you when I get back."

She nodded and frowned as he left the room. Something was off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Maybe she was just tired. She hadn't gotten much sleep the night before. She waited for the sounds of the front door closing before snuggling down into the covers to reclaim some of her lost sleep. After all, she would need all of her energy for cooking.

* * *

She woke up several hours later, took a shower, dressed, and lounged about with Will for a while before going out to the grocery store. She realized as she picked out a bunch of asparagus that she hadn't been home to the town-house in almost a week.

The drive between his apartment and her house was rather inconvenient. It was a waste of time and gas to commute back and forth between the two, so she sometimes stayed at Will's for days at a time. It seemed to be happening more and more frequently. Cole and Marianne didn't even ask where she was any longer, although sometimes they joked about finding someone else to rent out her room.

Beth speared a piece of asparagus and looked across the table in confusion and growing alarm. She felt the same as she had earlier; something was off. She had been able to tell that something was wrong from the moment she'd walked in the door, but she had no idea what it was. Dinner had turned out great, so it wasn't her cooking. What was it?

Something was obviously going on with Will. He was pale and agitated. He wouldn't stop fidgeting. Beth had immediately asked what was wrong, but he only shook his head slightly and said he was fine. Beth knew that he wasn't. She could hear his foot tapping a million miles an hour under the table; their glasses were shaking wildly because of it.

She knew he hadn't heard a word she said, and he was stammering. Will was always articulate, thanks to the prep-school upbringing, so stammering was an extremely unusual occurrence. In fact, Beth had only seen him act this way once before in all the time she'd known him.

A sudden wave of horror and dismay hit her as she remembered the last time she'd heard him stutter. She tried to calm her heart, which was thumping painfully in her throat. She didn't want to think about _that_, but it was too late. She couldn't help thinking about it. The last time she'd seen him act this way…

It had been the start of the worst two weeks of her entire life.

* * *

_**Two years earlier...**_

Beth took a sip of water and tried to keep herself from looking at her watch; she already knew what it would read, as she had glanced at it only minutes earlier. Losing the battle, she stole a glance at her wrist.

7:32

Will was 32 minutes late. She sighed unhappily, listening to the clinking of expensive china and crystal. She straightened her skirt and tried to look as though she was supposed to be sitting alone, as though she wasn't getting stood up. She was drawing circles with her finger on the table cloth.

She'd been at the restaurant since 6:50. She had been so excited for the dinner. It had been a week since she'd last seen Will, and she missed him. They'd both been busy. She had class and more school work to deal with than she'd ever had before. Junior year was turning out to be a rather tough experience.

Pemberley had lost some of its appeal with her because Will had graduated. It seemed empty without him. Will was busy with work. He'd received a new promotion. He wasn't anywhere close to being C.E.O. yet, but he was getting closer. However, with all the obstacles, it was becoming increasingly difficult for them to find time to be together.

And the time they managed to spend together seemed to be filled with fighting more than anything else. The littlest things seemed to set them off. They were both extremely stressed; they were dealing with large amounts of pressure. Beth from Pemberley and Will from his job.

She could feel that they were drifting apart. They barely even got a chance to speak anymore. She turned her head away as a waiter walked by. She didn't want him to stop at her table. He'd already been by twice, and she didn't want to have to explain that her date had still not shown up.

She'd thought at first that he was just running a little late. Perhaps the traffic was bad. She knew as more time passed that he wasn't running late; he'd forgotten. It had happened once or twice before, but Beth still couldn't believe it was happening again. Her expectantly happy expression slowly slipped off as the time passed and was replaced by a terribly unhappy and disappointed one. She shook her head slowly. What a _wonderful_ night it was turning out to be.

She looked up in surprise as Will slid into his seat across from her.

"Hello," he said simply. He was slightly out of breath. She noticed he looked tired. He had the beginnings of dark circles under his eyes. She waited a moment for an explanation, but none seemed to be forthcoming. She looked off to the side and took a deep breath. She was _angry_.

"Will, where have you been?" she asked, desperately.

He winced. "I--I know. I…I'm sorry. I just…"

"No, w_here_ have you been?" she interrupted, angrily. "I've been here for almost an hour. _Alone_. The waiter's been by eight times already trying to take my order. He probably thinks I'm crazy for sitting here this long, as I was obviously being stood up. _I_ don't even know why I waited."

Will sighed and tiredly rubbed his temples. Beth felt bad for a moment. It seemed like all they did was fight. "Can we please not get into this now?" he asked, sounding annoyed.

She stared at him in disbelief. "When else are we supposed to talk about it? I haven't seen or spoken to you in a week."

"I--I know. I've been busy."

"I have too, Will, but I still managed to make it to dinner on time. Hell, I was _early_. It would be fine if this was the first time you'd forgotten dinner, but it happens _all the time_."

He sighed heavily in frustration. "I'm _sorry_. Okay? It's--it's been a hectic couple of weeks for me. I--I don't have time anymore for…" he trailed off, looking down.

Beth's head snapped up, and she froze. She tried to breathe normally, but the sudden weight on her chest made it hard. When she spoke, she tried to keep her voice even, but it was still a little shaky.

"Time for _what_, Will? Time for us? Time for me?" When he didn't speak, she had to fight the urge to start hyperventilating. "Oh, god. _That's_ what you were going to say. You don't have time for me." The lump in her throat made it harder to speak. "That's what a relationship _is_; it's making time for the other person."

"Well, maybe…maybe we shouldn't have a relationship anymore. Maybe we--we should take a break," he stammered, not meeting her eyes.

Beth's jaw dropped open. Whatever she'd expected, this wasn't it. She felt like someone had ripped out a piece of her heart and stomped all over it. Clenching her jaw shut, she narrowed her eyes. Whatever hurt or shock she felt was slowly being replaced by anger. _He_ was breaking up with _her_? '_Well, fine_,' she thought, bristling. She didn't need him. If he wanted to break it off, well, _fine_.

"You know what, Will? Fine. _Fine_." She threw her napkin on the table and hastily stood up. "This," she waved her hand back and forth between them. "It's over. _We're_ over. Happy? You and your company can live happily ever after together," she said, sarcastically.

She waved off his protests and walked out to get her coat. The last she saw of him, he had his head in his hands.

She walked back not a minute later, feeling extremely foolish; she'd forgotten her purse on the floor by her chair. He looked up hopefully as she came back, and she rolled her eyes, still angry. "Oh yeah right, Will. I forgot my purse."

After grabbing it, she turned on her heels, and quickly left the restaurant. She stepped out into the cold night air and drew her coat closer about her. Whatever anger she had felt was slowly burning away, and she could feel the horrible dread and panic trying to rise up.

From that moment on it became like a series of challenges for Beth.

'_Just get to the car, and you'll be fine_.'

'_Just drive to the house and you'll be fine_.'

'_Just get to the door…'_

She unlocked the door, stepped inside, and slumped against it. Her keys and purse fell from her limp hands. She felt like lying down on the floor and dying, but somehow managed to stay standing. She was half-supported by the door.

Cole and Marianne were sitting on the couch watching a movie. Both rushed over as soon as they caught sight of her.

"Beth? What's wrong?" Marianne asked in alarm, grabbing onto her shoulders.

"He said we should take a break," Beth said, her voice completely monotone and dead. "But I didn't really want to break up…" Her voice sounded weird even to her own ears.

Marianne threw a shocked look over her shoulder to Cole before turning back to Beth. "You and Will broke up?" she asked softly, in disbelief. Beth nodded slowly. She was shaking slightly, but couldn't cry. She was too numb to cry. She was too numb to think, move, or speak.

"Oh, Beth…"Marianne consoled, pulling her into a tight hug. She stroked the top of Beth's head, giving her as much comfort as she could. Beth slowly raised her arms to hug Marianne back; she was only going through the mechanics. She felt like she was made of wood, but there was a wave of feeling building inside of her.

The first sob was so hard to get out that she half-believed there wouldn't be one after it, but the next sob came as easy as anything and with no pause. From then on it was like a dam breaking with everything she'd been repressing since the moment they'd broken up in the restaurant breaking free. She clung to Marianne, burying her face in her shoulder as she cried.

She sobbed for a long time. She couldn't have stopped if she'd tried. After she had cried herself out, she used the door to support herself as she stood on shaky legs. She was physically and emotionally exhausted. She looked down at Marianne, and at Cole who had joined them on the floor.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Marianne waved her off, still looking worried. "Beth, it's nothing. Don't worry about it. I'm here for you. Are you sure you're all right? Do you want me to get you anything?"

'_My boyfriend back,_' Beth thought, but taking a shaky breath she slowly shook her head. "No. I'm going to take a shower and then go to bed."

Marianne nodded. "Okay. Just tell me if you need anything. Seriously…_anything_."

Beth gave a small, wobbly smile and nodded. She made her way slowly up the stairs.

She looked at herself in the mirror in the bathroom and was amazed that she still looked the same. It felt like an eternity had passed. This was not the ending she had predicted for the evening. She couldn't have imagined this in her worst nightmares.

She climbed in the shower, and let the warm water dispel the tension in her neck and shoulders. She thought that she was past all feeling. She thought she had cried herself out, but she actually had to sit down in the shower as a wave of unbidden and unwanted memories hit her. She hadn't known anything could hurt so much. It was close to a physical pain.

'_Don't think about __**him**_,' she pleaded with herself, but she couldn't stop thinking. Will had been a huge part of her life. Everything concerning college and Pemberley was all wrapped up in her memories with him. She couldn't separate the two. They had been so happy in the beginning. It had been perfect. It had been _amazing_. She didn't know what had happened to them; she didn't know how it had gone so wrong. She only knew that she would never be quite the same without him.

Beth finally made it out of the shower what seemed like hours later and walked slowly back to her room. Her stomach sunk as she looked around; there was so much of Will's presence in her room. Over on the chair was a sweatshirt he'd left at some point, and on her desk was a framed picture of them…it went on and on. Everywhere she looked there was something that reminded her of him.

Feeling a slight surge of anger, she grabbed an empty box from her closet and began piling everything that was remotely related to him into it. In went pictures, items of clothing, jewelry, and everything he had ever given her. She'd loved him and he'd hurt her. She didn't ever want to see him again.

When she finished the purge, she took the box, shoved it into the closet with more force than necessary, and then sat down on the edge of her bed. She was suddenly completely exhausted. She was too tired to be angry or cry and definitely too tired to think. She slipped under the covers and quickly fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

She woke up the next morning with her head feeling very stuffy from so much crying the night before. The view from her window was beautiful. The day was filled with sunshine, and she almost smiled until she remembered that she had broken up with her boyfriend, and probably the love of her life, the night before. Her chest contracted tightly under the pain. She could feel it bearing down on her again like a physical weight.

She didn't want to get up and go to class. She didn't want to go anywhere near that campus. _That_ was where their relationship started. That was where it all had begun.

After laying about for another half an hour, she finally managed to make it out of bed. She didn't bother with showering and put on a hooded sweat shirt and a baggy pair of jeans. She wore her glasses as well. She didn't care what she looked like. As far as she was concerned her clothing did not matter one iota. It wasn't like she had anyone to look good for anymore…

She broke off that thought abruptly. It made her feel like crying, and she'd vowed not to shed another tear over him. She was done crying, or so she tried to tell herself.

She headed down to the kitchen, but couldn't make herself eat. She took an apple on her way out at Marianne's insistence, but threw it away once she was outside. She had no appetite whatsoever. Eating correctly didn't seem to matter so much anymore either.

That day was one of the hardest for her simply because she had to walk through the campus, and sit through all her classes. She couldn't be at Pemberley and not associate it with Will, even though he'd graduated. To her, the campus screamed 'Will'. They'd spent so much time there. There were so many moments and memories; nearly three years worth.

Beth closed her eyes unhappily, wishing that she didn't have be on campus, or have to sit through class, or that if she did have to sit through it, that she could at least think of something else besides him. But she couldn't. She just kept going through all the memories; their first kiss, which had been at Carla's, their second kiss, which had been in his room, their first date, which had been in a little restaurant in town, the first time they'd…

'_Oh no. __**No**_,' Beth thought, blushing faintly. '_I am in class. I __**won't**__ think about that_,' she mentally willed herself. She couldn't think about sex, not when she couldn't be with Will, because being with him was wonderful. She loved getting so caught up with him that she couldn't think straight. She loved being so close that she didn't know where he ended and she began…

She pressed the palms of her hands against her eyes, trying to force back the images and feelings that were trying to overcome her. She concentrated fiercely on her text-book, unwilling to think about anything else. She would go crazy if she thought about it any longer.

She sighed, but promised herself that she would get over it, get over him, even if it killed her. She had the sneaking suspicion that it just might.

Beth found it got easier as the week passed. She still thought about him constantly, and she still missed him, but she no longer broke down at the mention of his name, and she was at least able to control her memories, which was some consolation. If she still cried on occasion at night, she was the only one who knew.

She threw herself into her studies and spent nearly all her time working on homework. She was trying to go back to her routine from before they had been together, but she soon found that it was nearly impossible to do so. Something was so obviously missing. There was a void in her life that hadn't been there before, and no amount of studying or school work could fill it.

Will called once, halfway through the week, but she recognized his voice almost instantly and hung up. From then on she refused to answer the phone, not matter how many times it rang. She didn't want to give in to him. It made her feel weak. She was frightened that someone could have that much power over her, but he did. Where had all her independence gone? How had he come to mean so much to her?

It was true that she hadn't wanted to break up, but she had too much pride to give in so soon. He'd hurt her, and she wanted to make him hurt as well. She'd lived without him for the first 17 years of her life, she was almost positive she could do it again.

No matter how much she repressed it, there was still that nagging feeling in her gut that told her differently.

* * *

That Friday, she locked herself in her room and dug out 'The Box'. It was still currently in her closet where she had left it the night of the break up. For some reason, she'd been itching to go through it all day. Steeling herself, she flipped off the lid.

She smiled tiredly as the first object caught her eye. It was a framed picture of her and Will, which was taken earlier in the year by Marianne and once resided on her desk. They'd been in a thrift shop, and in the picture she was wearing an enormous pair of sunglasses while he wore an outrageous cowboy hat. She was laughing and looking up at him while he made a goofy face for the camera. Standing arm in arm, they looked so happy.

She wondered what had happened to them. '_His job happened,_' she thought gloomily, putting the picture frame down on the bed beside her. His job had been the start of it all. He received a new promotion at the beginning of the year, and his free time had plummeted to nearly zero. She had been busy with school. They'd both let other things get in the way of their relationship.

She moved on to the next item. It was a sweatshirt he'd left the last time he was over. She looked at it for a moment in quiet contemplation before putting it behind her on the bed. Next came out the necklace he'd bought her for their 1st year anniversary. She loved it; it was so beautiful. However, she could only look at it now with despondency. It made her think of him, and of better times. She doubted she would ever wear it again.

She looked thoughtfully at the next item; a page torn out of a magazine. It was part of an article and a picture from US magazine. The magazine had done a short report on the wealthiest men in America, and Will was somewhere in the middle. Being _slightly_ more attractive than many on the list, the article included a small picture. It showed both Will and herself. They'd been grocery shopping, and neither was looking at the camera.

Beth had been delighted to find herself in a national publication. She'd found it hilarious that anyone would care enough to take a picture of them doing something as silly as grocery shopping. Now, the picture only made her a little sad.

Sighing, she put the box down on the floor. She didn't want to look anymore. She reached behind her and pulled Will's sweatshirt on, inhaling deeply. It still smelled like him. She curled up on her bed, looking at the happy picture. '_God, I miss him,' _she thought, tracing her finger over their outlines in the picture. She knew that if he'd called in that moment she would have gone back to him right then and there without a second thought.

* * *

She woke up the next morning feeling better, not good, but better. She thought about doing some of her school work, but for the first time in a long time decided to put it off. It wasn't so very important that it couldn't wait until after breakfast. She'd definitely been spending too much time on it lately.

She was confronted by an interesting sight as she came downstairs. Marianne was pulling a wedding dress out of a box to show Cole. She laughed as Beth gave her a strange look.

"Look! This is Elinor's wedding dress. Isn't it pretty? It's too long for her, so I said I would hem it," she explained. She held it up and then eyed Beth with interest. "You know, you're just the same size as she is…"

Beth held up her hands. "Oh _no_. No _way_. I'm not trying that on for you."

"Please, Beth? It'll be so much easier to pin it up if it's on an actual person. _Please_?" she pleaded, giving her best puppy dog eyes.

Beth groaned and protested, but after ten minute's of Marianne's begging she finally agreed.

"Great! Now, go take a shower; I'm not letting your greasy butt into her gown."

Beth laughed, but dutifully went up to take a shower. For some reason she was in a good mood. She couldn't explain it. She pinned up her wet hair after her shower, and Marianne helped zip her into the dress. She felt extremely odd to say the least. She was trying on a wedding dress, and she no longer even had a boyfriend!

"Wow, so your boobs are way bigger than hers," Marianne said with laughter as she struggled to zip the top up. "Just don't breathe too much, or you'll pop out."

Beth rolled her eyes. "I'm sure Cole would love the show."

She tried not to trip as they made their way down the stairs. Marianne had her stand on the stool and began to pin it up.

Standing there, it was impossible to keep her mind from wandering. She looked down thoughtfully. The dress really was beautiful. Its lines were simple and yet elegant. The ivory silk was just to die for. Beth thought that if she had to choose a wedding dress, hers would look very similar to this one.

While they were dating, she hadn't really ever thought about marrying Will. She smirked. '_Well, maybe once or twice…_'Her smile slowly slid off. There really wasn't any use to think about it _now_. It was out of the question.

Marianne had just finished hemming the dress when the doorbell rang. She laughed. "Why don't you get it, Beth? You can give the person at the other side a big surprise."

Beth smiled and walked over to the door. It seemed like a funny enough thing to do.

"Just watch, it'll be your mother. I'm sure Fanny would go crazy if she saw you. Finally one of her daughters in a wedding dress," Marianne added, still laughing.

"Oh, ha-ha," Beth said sarcastically over her shoulder as she opened the door. She was stuck by a little cord of fear as she opened it. She _sincerely_ hoped it wasn't her mother.

Will was extremely surprised at the scene that greeted him when Beth opened the door. His brow furrowed down in confusion, and he opened his mouth twice to speak before shutting it finally. He looked dumbstruck.

Beth took one deep breath, almost screamed, and then slammed the door in his face.

"Oh god," she breathed. Ignoring Marianne's concerned questions, she grabbed at the many folds of fabric and then made a mad dash up the stairs to her room. She couldn't believe what had just happened. Being extremely careful of the pins and the dress itself, she stripped it off as fast as she could. She ran around the room wildly, grabbing this and that as she changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

Her heart was pounding painfully in her chest, and she couldn't stand still. She paced agitatedly back and forth before resting her head against the cool wood of the door. She tried to breathe normally. "Okay, he's here," she said, trying to calm herself. "_Okay_. _O_-kay. What do I do? What do I do?" However much she wanted to, she knew she couldn't stay hidden in her room forever. She had to go down eventually.

She picked the dress off the floor, straightened it out, and then stood and faced the door for another minute. She finally closed her eyes, grabbed the door handle, and forced herself to go downstairs.

As she had predicted, Marianne and Cole had let Will in. They were standing in the living room talking, and they all looked up as she came down.

She gulped and did _not_ look at Will, but went straight to Marianne. She handed her the dress. "Here's Elinor's dress," she said, quietly.

"Hey, thanks." Marianne put it on its hanger. "You know what? Cole and I were just heading out," she pushed the rather reluctant Cole toward the door. "We'll be back…later." She smiled encouragingly as Beth gave her a pleading 'don't go' look and grabbed her keys. Pushing Cole to the door, she gave Beth a thumbs up and followed him out. The door's slam resounded in the suddenly quiet house.

Beth couldn't look up. His sudden appearance had left her completely unbalanced. She had so much adrenalin running through her system that she couldn't keep still. She wrung her hands nervously and tapped her foot. She didn't try to calm her racing pulse; she knew all attempts would fail.

He was standing there only a few feet in front of her, and she had to fight the irrational urge to tackle him to the ground. Her body was going through extreme Will withdrawal.

She noticed that he looked like how she felt. She didn't think she'd ever seen him look so tired. He looked like he needed a hug…

'_No!_' she scolded herself. She felt like she was going crazy. She wasn't used to fighting herself. '_You can't touch him anymore; you have broken up._' She hated that she had to remind herself of that, but it was necessary. _All_ she wanted to do was touch him.

"That dress…" he said, softly and reluctantly.

"Oh." Beth cringed, horribly embarrassed. She waved a hand dismissing it. "It's Marianne's sister's dress. She's getting married soon and it needed to be altered a bit. I think it was too long. Marianne said we were about the same size so I was wearing it so that Marianne could hem it, so that Elinor could wear it in her wedding and it wouldn't drag. It wouldn't be a very good thing to have the bride tripping down the aisle. Because who wants to trip on their wedding day? Ha ha. Yeah, I was--" She could not stop babbling.

Will cut her off. "It was beautiful. _You_ looked beautiful."

She inhaled sharply, fighting the sudden urge to cry. Somehow throughout her babbling the distance between them had decreased significantly. They were standing less than a foot apart. Beth was overwhelmed by his presence. She had missed him so much…

She nodded and spoke over the lump in her throat. "Thank you," she said quietly, watching his mouth. In a few more seconds there wouldn't be any distance left between them…

She hastily backed up and skirted past him. She made sure not to brush him in the process. She didn't know what would happen if they touched.

"Umm, are you thirsty? I don't know what we have. Probably some juice." She was off babbling again. "Maybe Ice Tea. I think we might even have some lemonade in the kitchen. Marianne might have bought some. She went to the store a few days ago. I can go check." She started toward the kitchen, but stopped when he shook his head no. She didn't walk back, but stayed where she was in front of the stairs. She figured the more distance between them the better.

He seemed to be of a different mind. In only a few strides he was there in front of her. Her hand was resting on the banister, and he placed his on top of hers.

Beth gulped and took a step back and up. She did not think it was a very good idea for him to be looking down at her. It was too familiar. She was now at his eye level.

"Beth," he started, in a tone that made her swallow hard. "I don't know what to say. I'm sorry, I guess. I was wrong. I made a huge mistake. Work; it's not important." He waved a hand. "I haven't been able to concentrate all week. It's been totally pointless. All day, I sit and think about you. I didn't even go to work today because there was no point. I've regretted what I said that night, so much. I didn't mean it. I don't know what I was thinking. You mean more to me than the company ever will."

Beth held her breath. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed those eyes until they were right there in front of her. As he spoke, she could feel the weight that had been crushing her chest all week finally lifting.

"I--I tried to call, but you wouldn't pick up…not that I blame you. But I had to come see if…" He swallowed and looked down. "I understand if you don't want to get back together, but I had to ask," he said in a low voice. He looked up. "Beth…"

Beth felt such a wave of relief that she had to fight to keep from breaking down into hysteric sobs. He wasn't there to pick up things he'd left. He wanted to make up!

She threw her arms around him and buried her face in his sweater.

"I forgive you," she said, relishing the feeling of being close to him again. His arms tightened around her almost painfully, and she heard him sigh in relief.

"I should have answered your calls. I was being stubborn," she muttered almost incoherently as he rained kisses over the back of her neck. He lifted his head and kissed her roughly, making up for two weeks of total hell. She backed up, pulling him with her. He easily followed her lead, and they wasted no time making their way upstairs to her room, as they had so many times before.

* * *

Snapping back to reality, Beth put her fork down; she'd suddenly lost her appetite. The dinner setting now struck her as awful. He wasn't breaking up with her, was he? Was that why he had been acting weird earlier that morning? She shook her head. He couldn't be breaking up with her. Things had been going so well. They weren't fighting. They were getting along perfectly.

The relationship was the best it ever had been. Breaking up had been bad enough the first time. It was two years later now, and she didn't think she could handle it if he did. It would be like total annihilation.

Perhaps she was overreacting. She might be reading too much into the situation. Perhaps he was nervous for some other totally inexplicable reason…

"Will," she croaked. Her voice was half-strangled. "What's going on?"

Will looked up, surprised. He opened his mouth to speak and then shut it again. He swallowed before finally managing to speak.

"I was going to wait until after dinner to do this, but I guess now is as good a time as any. I've--I've been thinking about--about us lately," he said unsteadily, avoiding her eyes.

Beth felt her stomach lurch horribly. He _was_ breaking up with her. She tried to breathe normally.

"We've been together for a long time now, and it's hard because I feel like we never see each other anymore. The drive between my apartment and your house is just…it's horrible. I hate driving it. And you're over here all the time anyway…"

She wondered if he was drawing it out on purpose. If he was going to prolong it to try to make it easier for her, she couldn't take it. She cut him off. "Will, if you're breaking up with me, just _say_ it already."

Will froze, mid sentence, with a look of complete astonishment on his face. "Break…I'm not—I wasn't…"He shook his head and seemed to really see her for the first time that night. "I wasn't breaking up with you. Do _you_ want to break up?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

"_No_! I was…" she trailed off, unable to continue. She felt enormous waves of relief. "You were stuttering and fidgeting, and the only other time I've seen you do that you were breaking up with me, so I thought…" She shrugged, nearly laughing in relief. "If you weren't breaking up with me, then what were you doing?"

Will half chuckled, half-groaned, and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I guess I wasn't making myself very clear. I was asking you to move in with me. I—I was asking you to marry me," he said softly. If Beth had been eating, she would have choked. She felt her stomach drop, as though she was riding a roller coaster.

"Are you joking?" she asked quietly, eyes wide as saucers. The words caught in her throat. It would be such an awful joke…He laughed then, really laughed, and Beth didn't quite know what to do. This wasn't something she'd been prepared for.

He shook his head lightly. "No. I'm not joking." And with that he pushed his chair back from the table and walked over slowly with his hands in his pockets. "I suppose I should have just done it the right way from the beginning..."

Beth stared at him, speechless for a moment and then scooted back as well. She stayed seated. She didn't think she could get up. "You...you're being serious...I" She trailed off, completely confused. She was having trouble forming a sentence. All thoughts were blown out of her mind, however, as he paused and then got down on one knee before her.

She inhaled sharply and clamped both hands over her mouth. Her hands fell limply into her lap.

"Oh god," she said, catching sight of the ring. _Definitely_ not joking. Her heart was beating painfully in her chest, but she couldn't keep the huge grin off her face.

Will was smiling too. "Beth, I love you." He paused slightly. He no longer seemed nervous. "Will you marry me?"

Beth blinked, sat for a moment in complete shock and then vaulted off her chair, throwing her arms around him. They collided with such force that they both fell backwards into a heap on the floor.

"Yes! Yes! Yes," she said excitedly, raining him with kisses. "You're so stupid. Why did you act like that in the beginning? You made me so nervous!"

"I was nervous too!" he protested laughingly, while slipping the ring onto her hand.

He rolled them over so that he was on top and settled between her legs. His mouth was warm on her throat, and he was already nimbly undoing the first buttons of her shirt.

"Hey, Mr. Happy Hands," she said, laughingly scolding him. "I spent an hour making this dinner, and I'm…I…" she trailed off. The hands under her shirt were _so_ distracting.

He let out a low, amused laugh. When he spoke, his mouth near her ear made her shiver. "I have a microwave you know. We can always reheat this stuff later."

She smirked, and running a hand through his hair, she drew his mouth down to hers.

* * *

Much later that night, Beth sat atop the counter top in the kitchen eating some reheated pasta and chicken. Having never quite lost her propensity for wearing his clothing, she wore the button down shirt he had occupied earlier that night. '_Bedsides_,' she thought, swinging her feet. She looked at Will, who stood lounging next to her in his boxers. '_He looks much better without a shirt anyway.'_

"I don't know who's going to be my maid of honor. Jane, Marianne _and_ Carla are already married," she said, continuing the conversation they'd been having. She was struck by a sudden idea. "Do you think your sister would do it?"

Will smiled happily. "I think Anna would love to be your maid of honor."

"I can't wait to ask her. Oh, and speaking of that, I'm fairly certain my mother is going to lose her mind when I call to tell her the news. You know how much she loves _you…_" She laughed as he rolled his eyes and continued on. "Just think about how much she'll be able to gloat to her bridge club friends now. I think we've made her year. Now, about my dad, I'm not so sure. You know he's never really taken to you…"she teased. Thomas was very fond of Will.

"Don't worry. He's fine with it; I already asked him," Will said, nonchalantly.

"_What_?" Beth looked at him with disbelief. "You asked him?" When Will nodded unconcernedly, she only gaped more. "You seriously asked him?"

"Yes," Will said, laughing at her skepticism. "Isn't that what you're supposed to do…ask the father for permission first?"

Beth blinked. "I--well, yeah I guess so…" she trailed off and then smiled up at him. "Aww, you asked my dad for permission. I'll have to thank him for giving it to you." He rolled his eyes, but she couldn't help clasping her hands together. She couldn't get over it. "How long have you been planning to ask me?" she asked curiously.

Will shrugged. "For a while. I bought the ring a couple months ago."

"A couple months ago!" She shook her head and laughed. "Thank goodness I made this dinner tonight, otherwise you never would have gotten around to it. I gave you the perfect opportunity.

"I would have asked anyway. Hey, I would have!" he protested, as she gave him a disbelieving look.

"_Right_," she said sarcastically and popped a piece of chicken from her plate into his mouth before he could protest any further. Doing so drew her attention to her hand and she smiled evilly.

"Do you know what I love most about you right now?" she teased playfully, leaning into him.

He chewed, for a moment, pretending to think. "That I am a bona fide sex god?" he quipped.

Beth laughed and shook her head. "Not what I was thinking. What I love most is that you're filthy _rich_." She held up her left hand and waggled her fingers as he groaned and then laughed.

"It figures."

Beth only laughed. "Do you see this ring? Look how pretty it is." She held it up to her face for closer inspection. It only got better. The big, beautiful, _shiny_ square-cut diamond and the gorgeous platinum band were the definition of perfection for Beth.

Will snorted. "I take it you like the ring."

Beth nodded enthusiastically. She tried to suppress her grin.

"And I suppose it's the only reason you said yes?" he continued.

Beth slowly shook her head no and drew him closer, smirking.

"No. I said yes for a different reason…" She walked her fingers up his chest, loving the feel of it under her hands, before throwing her arms around his neck.

"Because I'm a sex god?" he asked again.

She laughed and buried her face in the crook of his neck. "Yes. That's it."

"Good. I'm glad our relationship has such a firm basis."

Beth laughed again before pulling back slightly.

"Will," she said in a more serious tone as she looked up at him. "All joking aside, I really do love you."

Will nodded and smiled happily down at her. "I know. I love you, too."

After four and a half years of saying it, the effect of those words still hadn't worn off. He still made her toes curl in delight. She looked down to their entwined hands. She smiled as the ring sparkled and glinted in the dim kitchen light. She knew that this was how she wanted to spend the rest of her life. Sitting in a kitchen eating reheated pasta at 11:00 at night with the one person she truly loved seemed like a pretty perfect picture to her. She was exactly where she belonged.

* * *

_The End.

* * *

_

**AN**:  
Now that you've read the whole thing, go back and read it again! haha

If you would have told me two years ago that I would write something this long and involved, or that it would be so well loved and received I would have slapped you for being so silly. Over 300 reviews? SHUT up! I like to think that as I've grown over the years, my story has grown too. If you were a reader of _Shine_ in the beginning, and by beginning I mean September 2003, I'm very, _very_ sorry. It was _so_ bad. I hear you saying, 'Luna, Luna, this can't be true!'  
Oh, but it is. If you were there reading, back in the day, you know what I'm talking about. And so, _Shine_ would have remained that lifeless piece of…work, had it not been for some wonderful and amazing constructive criticism I received.  
Hence, after a huge rewrite on nearly every single chapter, the _Shine_ as you know it today was born. I must say it's a rather bittersweet moment finishing this story. It's been a huge part of my life and it's my first major work in writing. I want to thank you all for coming on this journey with me and for spending so much time on my brainchild. I appreciate it more than I can say.


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